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Editor’s letter
Three things you need to check outEDITOR’s ChOICE
Claire Howlett, [email protected]
“Aim for the magic,” says illustrator Nick Harris when discussing what artists need to do when creating for children’s books. I thought it was a pretty great way to
describe what we all strive for – making something special. See page 18 for more advice on getting into children’s book illustration. It’s an excellent read.
We certainly aim for the magic each and every issue of ImagineFX and I hope that we’ve delivered it this time around. From Tommy Arnold’s striking cover art, to Marc Simonetti’s breathtaking gallery of work in his interview on page 38, or Jon Foster’s guide to creating punchy compositions (page 74), we’ve certainly given it our best shot. There’s tons of information and inspiration in this issue, so dive on in!
Oh, and if you’re on Instagram, share your art with us @imaginefxmagazine!)
Painter paints a pirate in Painter 2017 Using the latest version of Corel’s natural media program, Borislav Mitkov illustrates a bearded man of the sea.
Essential art advice from Jon FosterWe’re long-time fans of Jon’s sublime take on the world. Here he discusses the secrets of a strong composition.
Get into children’s illustrationArtists reveal what it takes to get paid to paint for children’s books. It’s not as easy as you might think…
Brilliant subs offer!Subscribe, save money, get a copy of Concept Artist magazine and 20 per cent off Adobe.Woo! See page 36…
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January 2017 3
Welcome to…
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Contents
January 20174
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Your art8 Reader FXPoséIndian chiefs, gun-toting rhinos, elven queens, unicorns, angels, a boss battle and more.
News and events18 How to break into children’s illustrationWe dive into the burgeoning world of children’s book illustration to find out what it takes to make it as an artist.
24 Artists in residenceExplore the lair of Beast Quest illustrator Steve Sims, and see where Tony DiTerlizzi, the artist behind The Spiderwick Chronicles, makes his marks. Your questions30 Artist Q&ATips from pro artists on how to accurately paint curved glass, dramatic lighting and more.
Features 38 Interview: Marc SimonettiThe artist who’s drawn covers for Terry Pratchett and George RR Martin tells us how he drew fiction’s most famous chair.
48 SketchbookCheck out US-based Danish artist Kiri Østergaard Leonard’s delightful curly horned unicorns and pumpkin birds.
Reviews88 Books93 Software95 Training
Regulars3 Editor’s letter6 Resources28 Letters36 Subscriptions 46 Back issues 62 Next month94 Digital subscriptions
Subscribe and save up to 47 per cent, get our Concept Artist special issue and money off Adobe products See page 36
Break into children’s books
Sketchbook Q&A: agingArtist in residence: Tony DiTerlizzi
Q&A: glowing runes
Q&A: curved glass
“I find that when an illustration is acquiring a special kind of visual interest it starts to vibrate”A-list illustrator Marc Simonetti talks book art
See page 8 for the best new art
Q&A: decay
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98 FXPosé Traditional102 Paint with limited colourMichael Manomivibul talks impact. 108 Labyrinth book artCreate characters with Cory Godbey.112 Capture light and depthPeter Chan shares his plein air tips.114 First ImpressionsDaren Bader talks the great outdoors.
FXPosé Traditional
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Inspiration and advice from the best traditional artists
Light and depth
Daren Bader
102
108
112
114
Less colour, more impact
Labyrinth character art
Issue 143 January 2017
January 2017 5
54 Add drama to your book art Learn how to make readers linger, with Tommy Arnold.
WorkshopsAdvice and techniques from pro artists…
DownloaD resourcesTurn over the page for this issue’s art assets
64 Painting a daylight scene Emphasise mood with light, says Suzanne Helmigh.
74 16 explosive composition tips Techniques for visual impact with Jon Foster.
60 Colouring with manga in mind Tan Hui Tian saves time with Clip Studio Paint.
80 Portrait art in Corel Painter Borislav Mitkov sails the High Seas as he paints.
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70 Take a laid-back approach to art Peter Polach does his “relaxing jazz thing”.
Dramatic book art
Resources
January 20176
Get your resources
Add drama to your book artCapturing the viewer is key to book-cover art and Tommy Arnold shows how to make potential readers linger.
You’re three steps away from this issue’s resource files…
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Getting hold of all of this issue’s videos, artwork and brushes is quick and easy. Just visit our dedicated web page at http://ifxm.ag/page143turner
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EDitorial ClairE HowlEtt ediTor [email protected]
DaniEl VinCEnt ArT ediTor [email protected]
CliFF HopE oPerATioNS ediTor [email protected]
CrEatiVE bloqCraiG StEwart editor kErriE HuGHES associate editor DominiC CartEr staff writer
ContributionSTommy Arnold, Chaanah Carr, Peter Chan, Mélanie delon, Alex duce, Gary evans, Jon Foster, Tony Foti, Cory Godbey, Nicky Gotobed, damian Hall, Suzanne Helmigh, richard Hill, Michael Manomivibul, Tom May, Kelley McMorris, Brynn Metheney, Borislav Mitkov, deya Muniz, Jia-Ying ong, Alice Pattillo, darren Phillips, Peter Polach, rob redman, Julia Sagar, Tan Hui Tian
pHotoGrapHy Future photography studio
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Resourcesworkshop videos
of video tutorials from pro artists to watch and learn from!
oVEr 5 HourS
Issue 143 January 2017
January 2017 7
ExclusivE vidEo tuition!Watch our videos to gain a unique insight into how our artists create their stunning art
Kelley McMorris Think about contrasting with the background, to make runes glow. plus wips and final image
And All this! Detailed workshops packed with advice from pro artists from around the world, including Peter Chan, Mélanie Delon, Tony Foti, Cory Godbey, Jon Foster, Brynn Metheney, Jia-Ying Ong, Peter Polach and Tan Hui Tian.
Borislav Mitkov Understand the basics of Corel Painter 2017, the latest version of the natural media art software, as you sail the High Seas and paint a characterful pirate portrait. plus wips, brushes and final image
tor Frick See the 3D artist’s lean, mean method for modelling props in the CGI program, in his Creating a Gun in Modo video.
Michael Manomivibul Discover how to paint character art with maximum impact using limited colours. plus wips and final image
16 CUsToM BrUshes, inClUding…FoliAgE sKEtch BrushSuzanne Helmigh uses this brush to quickly block out foliage.
grungErThis brush is good for pebbled areas, finds Tommy Arnold.
hAiry BrushBorislav Mitkov likes the long bristles on this brush for creating hair.
q&A videos TrAining
suzanne helmigh Learn how to use bounce light to help emphasise body language and mood. plus wips, brushes and final image
8 January 2017 Email your submissions to [email protected]
the place to share your DIGItal art
Luisa PreißlerLocation: GermanyWeb: www.luisapreissler.deemaiL: [email protected]: Photoshop
Freelance fantasy illustrator Luisa loves character-driven art. She works mainly on book covers, games and comics,
and always tries to convey emotions that allude to a larger story in her art.
“Watching Sailor Moon as a child made me start drawing early on,” the German artist reveals, “while in my teens digital illustration opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. It enabled me to grow confident with colours, lighting and atmosphere – my favourite things to paint.”
In her free time Luisa enjoys reading urban fantasy novels, travelling to Italy and testing out delicious new recipes in the kitchen.
1Sea circuS “This was done for Jon Schindehette’s ArtOrder challenge,
the task being to create a water-themed wraparound cover for a magazine. It only placed second but I still love the idea of an underwater circus. I enjoyed designing the mermaid as a circus magician and was satisfied that the composition works as an upright single page (the right-hand side) and as a full landscape-format image.”
2eLven Queen “This is one of my rare personal pieces, in which I
collaborated with Klaus Scherwinski. I started with an elven queen sitting on her throne but even at the thumbnail stage it was looking too generic. Having her shot with an arrow adds a nice, if tragic, twist to the piece.”
3cyber tracker “Moving from fantasy to science fiction was a
challenge for me, but it was fun to delve into something completely new and combine unusual tech elements with human skin, and then add a background to give the character a sense of story.”
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9January 2017Email your submissions to [email protected]
John Stanko is excited by what he sees…
“Luisa has an excellent sense of anatomy, composition and
colour theory, but what makes her art stand out is the use of subtle elements such as lighting and camera angles to enhance a story.”
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11January 2017Email your submissions to [email protected]
Simon SweetmanLocation: CanadaWeb: http://ifxm.ag/s-sweetmanemaiL: [email protected]: Photoshop
A former abstract oil painter turned mobile game artist, Simon has delved further into the realms of illustration.
Growing up with the works of Patricia McKillip, Kinuko Y Craft and Hayao Miyazaki, Simon’s art depicts dream-like fantasy worlds, with vague narratives only slightly informed by their titles. “I prefer to create works that exist away from the clang of fantasy battles and reside in the quieter, if not eerier parts of those worlds,” he explains
The illustrator fell in love with digital art by participating in, and later leading, the Creature of the Week competitions on ConceptArt.org and maintains a healthy interest in creature design. When he’s not working on freelance projects or his own art, Simon indulges himself in East Asian cooking and crafting tabletop game campaigns.
1roiLing LanD “A development piece for one of my personal projects.
I wanted to juxtapose two vastly different scenes and moods, connected by a colour palette. A serene and secluded town that thrives next to an utterly destroyed wasteland, relatively ignorant of the ominous cause.”
2nooDLeS! “There are few things I enjoy more than a good bowl of
ramen. This piece was both to practice drawing food in a way to try and make it look appetising, as well as just being a love letter to my favourite food.”
3the arrivaL of SPring “A breakthrough image for me, the
Arrival of Spring was one of the first personal works that I started building at my own pace without worrying about speed. There is some fairly obvious Hayao Miyazaki influence permeating my work, and this is one of the more blatant examples.”
IMaGINeFX crIt“Despite the two imaginative outdoor compositions on
show here, my eyes are drawn towards Simon’s delicious-looking, atmospheric Noodles artwork. What’s that sound? Why, just my stomach rumbling!” Cliff Hope,Operations Editor
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12 January 2017 Email your submissions to [email protected]
Julia MetzgerLocation: GermanyWeb: http://ifxm.ag/jmetzgereMaiL: [email protected]: Photoshop
German concept artist and illustrator Julia works on both video games and RPG publications, drawing on her experience as an
in-house artist and as a freelancer.“I often take my inspiration from my
surroundings, especially from nature,” she explains. “I always keep my eyes open for new interesting shapes, trying to capture the magical and mystical sides of the world in my images, merging them with the fantastical.”
Julia aims to unite light, colour and storytelling to literally paint a mood within her images.
IMAGINEFX CRIT“Between Julia’s gorgeous depiction of light, and her
harmonious colour choices, she’s managed to create lush fantasy art that pulls the reader into the scene. The scale and grandeur in her painting The Well is palpable.” Claire Howlett,Editor
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1the WeLL “This piece is a little concept for a personal project of
mine. The well is considered to be the birthplace of magic in its world, although in the memory of people it only remains as a myth, because no one knows its location.”
2Unicorn “In June this year I joined the #junicorn challenge for a while,
ending it later on with this illustration. I love painting mythical forests and creatures, so this was perfect for me.”
3SaMaeL “From time to time I come back to this angel, trying to nail his
design. The research was interesting, because a lot of the descriptions contradicted each other. There are a lot of facets to his character that make him a huge source of inspiration.”
4aWakening “During autumn I saw some reflections on a pond in front
of a huge tree, its leaves already fallen onto the water’s surface. I thought it would be the perfect setup to have something lurking in the depths: there was just someone needed to call upon the ancient creature in the water.”
14 January 2017
eoghan cowanLocation: IrelandWeb: http://ifxm.ag/e-cowaneMaiL: [email protected]: Photoshop
Eoghan is a concept artist and illustrator with over six years’ experience in the games industry. “Back in the day, I studied
animation. But to get into the games industry, I taught myself digital painting,” the Irish artist reveals.
Daily life in Dublin is a constant source of inspiration for Eoghan, while his long-term goal is to open up his own studio and develop his own IP.
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1the creatUre that LiveS “I wanted to capture the moment just
before a ‘boss battle’ in a video game, and push the scale of the creature in comparison to the warrior.”
2Max rhinotanSky “I’m a huge fan of the Mad Max movies. I also love
the characters from the animated film Zootopia and thought it would be interesting mashing up the characteristics from both films into one anthropomorphic character.”
3cUStoDian of the necronoMicon “For this character
I was inspired by the works of HP Lovecraft and the Dark Souls games. I imagined that he was the keeper of the Book of the Dead. He’s not necessarily evil – he just protects the book from falling into the wrong hands.”
15January 2017Email your submissions to [email protected]
3
IMAGINEFX CRIT“The character designs on show here bode well
for Eoghan’s ambition of creating his own IP. I especially like the look of the Custodian of the Necronomicon. Who would want to cross paths with this character?Daniel Vincent,Art Editor
16 January 2017 Email your submissions to [email protected]
1
IMAGINEFX CRIT“Looking at Lorena’s Mononoke art, it’s clear that she can
turn her hand to children’s illustration equally as well as imagery suited for older viewers. Being versatile as an artist ensures that you’re more employable. – an essential skill in this competitive industry” Cliff Hope,Operations Editor
17January 2017Email your submissions to [email protected]
Lorena AzpiriLocAtion: SpainWeb: www.lorenaazpiri.comemAiL: [email protected]: Photoshop
Lorena specialises in digital art, but also enjoys using traditional techniques, particularly watercolours and acrylics. The Spanish
illustrator grew up immersed in popular culture, from crazy movies to action figures and comics – all were common place within her household.
“When I play a game or watch a good TV show or film, I like to make fan art,” Lorena says, “because I want to see how it looks in my style” The illustrator now lives in the mountains, still surrounded by her pop-culture collectables but with a killer view that inspires her art.
1mononoke “I love Ghibli, so this is not my only fan art inspired by a
Miyazaki film. There’s something in his stories that you can’t find in any other films. I designed a character that looks more like a children’s book, just for fun, and I played with blacks and greens.”
2StrAnger thingS “This is my favourite one. I was looking for
something that was representative of the show but didn’t have spoilers. So I did the two kids and the two worlds. I looked for contrasts in colour, to separate both worlds.
3FurioSA “Of course I was going to make a Mad Max fan art! It was a
great fun movie and I love this character. I combined the colours of the desert with greens and blues for contrast.”
4PortAL “This is one of my favourite games. I wanted to do a minimalist
background and Chell, the main character, with a dynamic pose. I ended up with Chell shooting a portal at the ground while she’s falling. And the robot-potato GlaDOS follows.”
Send up to seven pieces of your work, along with their titles, an explanation of your techniques, a photo of yourself and contact details. Images should be sent as 300DPI JPEG files.
email: [email protected] (maximum 1MB per image)
Post: (CD or DVD): FXPoséImagineFXQuay HouseThe Ambury Bath, BA1 1UA, UK
All artwork is submitted on the basis of a non-exclusive worldwide licence to publish, both in print and electronically.
submit your art to fxposé
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The Pirate Cruncher was Jonny Duddle’s first picture book: “I illustrate with lots of colour and detail because that’s what I loved when I was six.”
Not only is it a difficult and competitive market to break into, it’s also a difficult language to learn
Making magic Julia Sagar dives into the burgeoning world of children’s book illustration to find out what it takes to make it as an artist
Magical lands, swashbuckling adventures,
tall tales conjured with wonderful
breaches of logic… the lure of children’s
book illustration is clear. Who wouldn’t
want to spend their days crafting stories of
courage, loyalty and bravery?
Children’s book publishing is booming. In
the UK, the market grew more than seven
per cent in the first quarter of 2016,
according to Nielsen Books, following a 5.1
per cent growth in 2015. Unsurprisingly, it’s
competitive, and for many artists a tough
field to crack. Even Dr. Seuss creator
Theodor Seuss Geisel was rejected by over
30 publishers before releasing his first book.
So what does it take to make it in the wild
world of children’s book illustration?
For author and illustrator Jonny Duddle,
the first key attribute is an active imagination.
“Whether you’re writing and
illustrating your own books or
illustrating another author’s
text, you need to create
original, inspired artwork to
capture a child’s imagination,” he explains.
“You need to be passionate about your
vision, and make sure you have the style and
technique to pull it off.”
Fresh from creating the covers of two
new JK Rowling books, The Tales of Beedle
the Bard and Quidditch Through the Ages,
Jonny – who in 2014 also illustrated the
jackets of Bloomberg’s refreshed Harry
Potter series - has a unique insight into the
highs and lows of the field. “Stamina is just
as important,” he adds. “Finishing the
artwork for a picture book always takes
longer than you think. Sustaining your
vision, passion and imagination over
Break into children’s
illustration
Artist News, softwAre eveNts
At the core of the DigitAl Art commuNity
18 January 2017
“My books are quite long for picture books,” says Jonny. “I’d estimate almost
1,000 hours go into the artwork.”
What does it take to make a living in children’s books?You have to be open to a diverse range of clients. Most illustrators work in book publishing, educational publishing, magazines, advertising and sometimes games, film or television. Many also do school workshops, library visits, book festivals, lecturing and other public speaking about their work.
What’s the most surprising part of the industry?When my first book, The Pirate Cruncher, was published, the biggest shock for me was having to read my book to children. All authors do it, and the first time you have to stand up in front of a couple of hundred children and read your book – in a silly pirate voice – is frankly terrifying.
How daunting was it to paint the new Harry Potter covers?Very. I originally tried to turn it down: I’d never read the books and had only seen the first film, so felt like I was poorly qualified to create the artwork. In the end this helped, because I had few preconceptions of how things should look, and the resulting art was therefore a very personal response to the texts.
How did the creative process compare to usual?I visualised the Harry Potter universe as I read the books, with some tweaking based on feedback from Bloomsbury and JK Rowling. The process was the same as any other illustration job, but there were a lot more words to read beforehand and a massive fanbase, with huge expectations. I was given a choice of a couple of scenes for each book, apart from the first cover, which was a ‘test’ with a specific brief.
Industry InsIght
The award-winning artist talks pirates, picture books and Potter
Jonny’s working on another pirate themed book and is also planning a Vikings-based saga for children.
www.jonny-duddle.com
moomin on upIf you’re of a certain age, The Moomins would have a been required watching as a child. A new exhibition features original art from the programme.Page 23
spiderwick territoryWe have to wonder how Tony DiTerlizzi manages to do any work, what with all the models, games and the odd Pac-Man machine that are in his studio. Page 24
beastly behaviourSteve Sims knows all about fantasy creatures – he illustrates the Beast Quest books. But also in his studio are certain mutant turtles. Can you spot them?Page 26
Jonny DuDDle
19January 2017
Cover for Robert Mihok’s The Watchers of Enoch. “I enjoy illustrating for middle grade and young adults, more than early readers,” says Kiri.
Montague Mouse: The Darkest Hour is a promotional image by Kiri Østergaard Leonard for a children’s book she’s developing.
Jonny visualised the Harry Potter
universe as he read through the books.
if you still love to draw the kinds of things that excited you as a child or teenager, then you’re halfway there
several months is probably the greatest
challenge an artist can face.”
Danish illustrator Kiri Østergaard Leonard
agrees. “Many people go into children’s
illustration thinking it’s really
easy to do, but it isn’t. Not only
is it a difficult and competitive
market to break into, it’s also a
difficult language to learn –
especially because it isn’t always about
drawing well. It’s more about relying on
story, emotion and strong colours than
making something pretty.”
Worth a thousand WordsFrom both a technical and practical
perspective, children’s book illustration can
be deceptively challenging. There’s a
dizzying variety of genres on offer – from
folklore to fairy tales; for babies to young
adults – and often the simpler a style, the
harder it is to create. Don’t be fooled into
thinking fewer words means an easier job,
either. “Some picture books have characters
and items evolving from page to page that
are never mentioned in the text,” points out
English illustrator Nick Harris.
“You might show the moment
just before or just after the
scene described in the text,
which can have an implication
or pathos that adds weight to the words.”
There can be more restrictions involved
when creating imagery for children, too.
“There’s a level of censorship that isn’t
present in artwork for adults,” says Kiri.
“What’s great, though, is how vivid
children’s imaginations are. They won’t ask
why the dog is green – because of course
the dog is green.”
“If you still love to draw the kinds of
things that excited you as a child or
teenager, then you’re halfway there,” adds
Nick. “I still laugh at fart jokes and pratfalls.
Just never condescend. Children are
inexperienced, not stupid.”
Like many children’s book illustrators,
Nick works collaboratively with authors and
publishers to bring existing stories to life,
rather than illustrating his own. For him,
creating imagery that perfectly captures
and adds to the narrative is one of the most
exciting parts of the job. “How you interpret
the mood – using eye-line, lighting and body
language for characters – affords a ton of
ways you can present a scene in your own
particular style,” he explains.
20 January 2017
ImagineNation News
Art from Jonny’s The King of Space. “What’s key for me, with picture books, is that the words and pictures must work together, and neither should tell the full story.”
Nick’s cover art for The Shadow Dragon took a
number of iterations before arriving at the
bright, final version. This Warbot poster was given away with Jonny Duddle’s 2013 children’s book, The King of Space.
One of a set of illustrations created by Nick in 2014 for a version of Peter Pan.
The Worst Fishing Companion. “It’s so much easier to illustrate your own concept,” says Kiri.
Where’s the Knight illustration, by Nick Harris. “My style has always been suited to children’s publishing, he says.
Artist news, software & events
Other artists, however, prefer to illustrate
their own books. As Kiri admits, trying to
bring someone else’s vision to life can be
a struggle. “Although then you have to
worry about writing, which is a whole
different challenge.”
For Jonny, the key is to develop story
and visuals at the same time. “I don’t write
the story first, or plot out all of the
pictures,” he says. “Sometimes a book
begins with a casual doodle in my
sketchbook, or a rhyming couplet that I
think is funny. But each book develops over
months or years as a back-and-forth
between words and pictures.”
no experience requiredSo what do you need to make it from a
professional standpoint? According to
Helen Wicks – creative director
at Kings Road Publishing, part
of Bonnier Publishing – no
prior experience is necessary.
She frequently hires graduates
fresh from college, looking for technical
accomplishment, a distinct style and unique
perspective. “Just as important is the ability
to tell and sustain a story visually, and to
communicate emotionally with the reader,”
she explains. “Our illustrators create pictures
with a purpose: to tell a story, convey
emotions or illuminate facts.”
She’s happy to work with illustrators who
write, or to match writers with partners. “If
the talent is there, we’ll find a way to make it
work,” she says, adding that if you’re
interested in getting into children’s
publishing, don’t be afraid to market
yourself. “Some pitch fully formed concepts;
others send in simple portfolios of illustration
that manage to catch our eye. Talk to as
many other illustrators and publishers as
possible,” she advises.
Whatever you do, don’t be unreliable.
The cardinal sin of children’s book
illustration is over-promising and not
delivering on time. “We can cope with
almost everything else,” Helen warns, “but
the ramifications of lateness are profound
and very stressful for all.”
Like any career, says Nick, children’s book
illustration can be tough. But when the
perfect image brings life to the text, it’s
incredibly rewarding. “Aim for the magic,” he
says. “It’s there. When the right words find
the right illustrator, it really ignites.”
21January 2017
The Adventures in Moominland exhibition is split into seven immersive worlds for visitors to explore.
This exhibition gives Southbank Centre visitors a unique opportunity to reconnect with the original books and stories from Finland’s Tove Jansson.
Artist news, software & events
January 2017 23
The world of the Moomins is one of tolerance and love, where every individual is allowed to be themselves.
Creator Tove Jansson took inspiration from the landscape,
her friends, family and lovers.
All bound for MoominlandMigrating from Finland to the UK as
part of Southbank Centre’s Nordic
Matters programme, the Adventures in
Moominland exhibition is the country’s
first major showcase of Tove Jansson’s
iconic characters. “The
Moomins offers unparalleled
potential to visually explore
the rich Nordic landscape
and create a truly magical
experience for the viewer,” explains
producer Paul Denton.
With the programme eager to examine
the themes of sustainability, gender equality
and play, the stories of the Moomins and
Tove provide a unique way to tap into these
three topics. “Through our exhibition
programme, Southbank Centre is also
keen to find a new way of exploring and
displaying original archive material,” says
Paul. “By displaying these rich and beautiful
works in unconventional ways – so they’re
not hung neatly in rows on walls, but
embedded within an immersive set –
we allow visitors a new way of connecting
and create a more accessible way of
understanding,” he adds.
The exhibition features original
illustrations, letters and 3D models, and will
take viewers on a tour through the world
of the Moomins. “Each section you pass
through takes either direct inspiration from
the unique Moomin landscape and seasons,
or from a visual reference in the books,”
Paul says. “Personally I love the Winter
Forest and bathing hut, where you might
just see the Groke!”
Family fun London’s Southbank Centre hosts the first major UK exhibition of The Moomins, showcasing creator Tove Jansson’s original drawings, paintings and personal items
At the heart of the Moomin
books is the warmth of family
connections, which Paul
and Tove Jansson’s niece,
Sophia Jansson, hopes visitors
will take away with them. “Tove was an
exceptional, brave and talented female artist
whose works thematically are still very
current today,” says Sophia.
“The Moomins and their fantastical valley
are in many ways a mirror of humanity and
the values we hold dearest,” she adds.
“The stories are timeless, not bound by
geographical, religious or political
constraints. They’re fundamentally peaceful
and human, and hence appeal to all manner
of people. They speak to the thinking and
feeling child, as well as adult, in all of us.”
The exhibition runs from 16 December
2016 to 23 April 2017. Find out more at
www.southbankcentre.co.uk.
The Moomins are in many ways a mirror of humanity and the values we hold dearest
When I’m not in the studio
busily scribbling away with
the other creative types
at Dynamo, this is where
I while away the hours. It’s
the perfect balance between a controlled
creative atmosphere and my desire to live
within a chaotic, overflowing archive of
toys and reference art.
Having a work area that’s part of the main
living area really helps productivity. I used to
have a setup in a separate room, but found
it a bit antisocial to keep disappearing into
my cave. Luckily, when we moved house we
had the space to incorporate it all in the
lounge, which gave me more scribbling time.
I’m not the most tech-savvy person, so
my drawing techniques rely heavily on
traditional materials. Sketching, line art and
ink work is something I’ve always loved to
do, and will always aim to do traditionally.
You just can’t beat the textures you get from
working on good ol’ paper and pens.
My most-used piece of kit is my
detachable, home-made drawing board. It’s
something that a good friend of mine loves
to give me stick about – he says it’s so
unprofessional! However, it’s perfectly
angled to my drawing position and is
custom-made to my work environment.
The best art materials aren’t always the
most expensive. One of the most useful bits
of kit I keep on my desk is a bit of paper with
three very basic bits of painting advice
written on it. I think it’s important to be
reminded of the basics, because they’re the
foundations of all successful work.
However, painting is when I step into the
modern age; working digitally in colour is so
much quicker and more forgiving than
traditional methods. After all, it’s a lot easier
to store files than canvasses.
Steve has illustrated the Beast Quest children’s book series for the past ten years. He also self-publishes the Beast Hunting Battle Badgers comic book. You can see more of his work at http://blog.stevesimsillustration.co.uk.
Steve SimsArt quest The Somerset-based illustrator of beasts and battle badgers invites us to nose around his corner of creativity
Monsters, beasts and worlds of fantasy are the food that nourishes my soul. The words and worlds of various fantasy books were my home growing up and the fabulous illustrations that accompanied these tales were what started me on the creative path.
This cool dragon was a gift from my awesome partner Caz. Having a loved one who encourages your creativity and the things that you’re passionate about (even the geeky things) is the best and really only encouragement you ever need.
I adore Asterix, I love rendering and drawing with as much detail as I can. However, I always return to the masters of cartooning in order to avoid characters looking stiff.
A canvas of one of the early Beast Quest covers. One of many collaborations with the amazing colourist Gary McNamara. It’s always good to have someone you’re trying to keep up with creatively. It really helps to push your work.
ImagineNation News
January 201724
What’s cooler than an evil ninja covered in razor blades?!
I bought this Leo statue with the money from my first illustration job. The Ninja Turtles were my gateway from Asterix into comic books.
This little guy is Splinter, one of my drawing buddies. We have a couple of pet rats and they can often be found adventuring around my desk.
I use HB and 2H leads for pencilling, but when it comes to inking I’ll use whatever I can get my hands on: ball points, Sharpies, technical drawing pens and black Copic markers. The best bit is when they start to run out and you can get nice feathering and variations. I end up with a spectrum of Sharpies all at different stages of their lifespan – all useful for different techniques.
My home-made drawing board, constructed from the wood of my old drawing desk and made to fit my current one perfectly.
I love the early 90s design work of Japanese games companies like SNK and Capcom. Their hero and monster designs on old-school games like Ghouls and Ghosts and Darkstalkers were amazing.
My lucky hat. I’m not a superstitious person, yet I’ve worn this hat for all conventions and presentations over the years. I suppose it’s more of a creative comfort blanket.
During my travels I’ve been lucky enough to be able to obtain pieces of original art from two of my favourite comic creators. On the left is a page by Jim Lawson, and right is Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle panel work.
Artist news, software & events
January 2017 25
To understand me as an
author, artist and creative
spirit I offer you this
glimpse into my studio
– my innermost sanctum.
All the raw elements that ignite my
imagination are found here, as are many
of my well-kept treasures and secrets.
My studio is nestled in the basement of
our home. The creative work done here, by
all members of our family, serves as the
foundation for all that we have. Although
Tony DiTerlizziCreative clutter The award-winning author and illustrator shares a peek into his fantastic workspace inspired by objects from childhood
My executive producer’s chair from The Spiderwick Chronicles is kept warm by Kermit the Frog. The shooting script lies next to him. Behind him are compact discs forming part of my music collection.
As you can see, I collect a lot of old toys. I often use their vintage packaging as inspiration for fonts, typesetting and design.
An original watercolour by my hero, Brian Froud, peeks out from behind an old Spiderwick bookstore display.
A life-sized goblin rehearsal puppet from The Spiderwick Chronicles film stands guard. It was incredible to see my illustrations and designs brought to life by visual FX pioneers Phil Tippett and Industrial Light and Magic.
Jim Bissell, the production designer for The Spiderwick Chronicles film, gifted me a clear resin mushroom prop from his first film, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.
I mostly work during the day, I love the
luxury of popping down to the studio any
time that inspiration strikes. Sliding doors
and spacious windows face east, welcoming
warm sunlight each morning. The view
outside looks out upon fields, farms, forest
preserves and hills. When I work during
the day, I often hear the cry of red-tailed
hawks; and the hoot of great horned owls
calling at night. This close proximity to the
natural world keeps me connected to my
greatest inspiration.
Old books, toys and games clutter the
shelves and nooks of my workspace. It’s
dusty but comfy. These nostalgic artefacts
remind me of what it was like to be a kid.
Each dingy toy takes me back to a specific
time in my life. Each dog-eared book
reminds me of my own artistic journey and
the many visionaries who shaped it.
The walls leading down to my studio are
covered with original paintings, drawings
and sketches by those I admire – both past
and present. I thrive on visual inspiration,
ImagineNation News
January 201726
My drawing table looks out to the fields and farms. The changing light, colour and seasons provides endless inspiration. I’m sketching out my next picture book – the loose paper is easier for me to scan when it comes to creating the book dummy.
A 25th anniversary arcade edition of Pac Man is perfect for blowing off steam after an intense deadline.
An oversized cork bulletin board dominates the far wall of the studio. The board reflects projects I’m working on. Here, it displays early designs and inspirations for the Christmas-themed picture book I’m writing and illustrating.
Having started my illustration career in the early 1990s working on roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons, I’ve collected many vintage items from the early days of gaming. Only gamers of a certain generation know what’s in the Crown Royal bag.
I own a ridiculous supply cabinet, which was custom made by Richard Dunbrack. Tiny drawers hold my pens, inks, nibs and tubes of Holbein Acryla Gouache – my preferred medium. That’s an authentic iron-cast Naughty Nellie boot jack mounted near the cabinet doorjamb.
Tiers of wooden flat files run along the length of my studio. Each drawer is labelled for a particular project. A peek inside offers not only a glimpse into my imagination, but my life’s work.
and so my studio is decorated with stuff
that stimulates my eyes and mind.
Characters, creatures and books forged
from my imagination intermingle with
children’s classics and masters of
illustration. It’s the dream version of my
childhood bedroom.
New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Tony imbues all his books with a rich imagination. You can see his work on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or at www.diterlizzi.com.
Artist news, software & events
January 2017 27
Digital subscriptionIt’s been four years since I decided to go digital. I have never regretted a single paper issue of ImagineFX. And when I’m interested in a special magazine, I simply buy it right from your site. I have all the ImagineFX issues and I just want to say thanks for your great work! When I show to my friends how digital art can be so beautiful on a iPad screen, their eyes always shine. Forever with you.Donald, via email
Claire replies Hello Donald. Thank you so much for taking the time to email us with your kind words. I always share emails like this with the team and it’s a great reminder of how lucky we are to be working in the digital art community.
Submitting artHello there. I’ve just discovered your wonderful magazine! But how can I submit my art to you?Brenda Standis, via email
Claire replies Hey Brenda, thanks for getting in touch. We’re always looking for traditional and digital artists to showcase their art in our FXPosé sections. What we need is up to seven images (either traditional or digital, not both), along with their titles and a short (50 words for each image) explanation about its creation, the inspiration, or technique used.
Ideally, provide your text as a text document and your images in a zip file (include copyright information if needed). We’ll also need a photo of yourself, a short biography (maybe about your training, jobs, art inspirations and aspirations, or some silly info about you) and these details: name, location, website, email and your medium. Images should be sent as 300dpi jpg files. Email us at [email protected].
if you missed our film art issue, then don’t panic…You can still get hold of it using our back issues service – see page 46 for details.
Unfortunately we’re not able to reply to people individually – unless you get chosen to appear in the magazine.
Costume dramaHello Team ImagineFX! I couldn’t resist writing in to thank you for the Darrell Warner interview in issue 142 (the film art issue). What a fascinating insight into the world of film and costume design it was – and such inspiring art too. I’d love to read more interviews like that one.Tony Sansom, via email
Claire replies Many thanks for letting us know the interview hit the mark, Tony. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy our interview in this issue with Marc Simonetti (page 38), who I think offers a similar level of industry insight we can only get from those who are right at the centre of their art genre.
Cover starI just wanted to write in about your cover on the film art special (issue 142, Christmas). I’ve been a subscriber for as long as I can remember, but I think that was my favourite. It just gripped me I couldn’t work out whether her eyes were filled with sadness or hope? Maybe both? I turned right to Krzysztof Domaradzki’s workshop and of course tried to replicate his wonderful work. No such luck. But I won’t give up. Keep up the great work!Sandra Carey-Bates, via email
Claire replies Hello there Sandra, huge thanks for emailing in. We love getting feedback about the magazine and especially the covers – even if it’s constructive criticism. Keep talking to us and telling us what you want to see.
Four years ago Donald swapped over to a digital subscription of ImagineFX, and hasn’t looked back.
ImagineNation
January 201728
Our interview with Hollywood costume designer Darrell Warner went down well with Tony Sansom.
Want us to shout about something? Tell us all about it on Twitter (@imaginefx), Instagram (@imaginefxmagazine)or Facebook!
Your art news that’s grabbed our attention
Ryan Lang @ryanlangdraws
“The first piece I did for Doctor Strange. A lot was different, I was still trying to find my footing. I still like things about this painting, though”
Joshua Sommerfeldt
@basssinger23
“Awww my girl got her own ride…”
Miles Johnston @miles_art
“In-progress shot of a pencil tutorial I’m putting together for ImagineFX. I wanted to do a little allegory to pain.”
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Struggling with a painting technique or topic? email [email protected] today!
AnswerMélanie replies
Spacesuit are fun to paint, but the helmet part can be tricky to get right, especially the glass element because you have to
take into account its reflective properties, and the fact that it’s transparent.
So here are a few tips to paint this element. the first thing to know is that you almost don’t need to paint it! this may sound odd, but because it’s transparent all you have to do is to suggest the glass element with subtle hints of light.
the second thing to keep in mind is the shape. it’s like a ball, so the light and colours should be depicted exactly the same as any other round object.
essentially, i’ll be painting a glass ball. glass is a very reflective surface/material, so painting the light is crucial. it’s the basis of everything: the texture, the volume and shape of the helmet, so have fun and go crazy with your space-faring character!
QuestionHow do I paint curved glass on a helmet?Rosie Ball, England
mélanie DelonAs a full-time freelance illustrator, Mélanie spends her time working for different publishing houses and developing her own personal works on a fantasy theme.
www.melaniedelon.com
Tony fotiTony is an artist with Konami who also contributes freelance work to numerous books, trading cards, video games, magazines and advertisements of all types.
www.tonyfotiart.com
Jia-Ying ongJia-Ying is a freelance artist from Singapore, who has done work mostly for mobile games, books, and dabbles in animation projects every now and then.
www.circus-usagi.artstation.com
Brynn metheneyBrynn specialises in creature design, fantasy illustration and visual development for film, games and publishing. She lives and works in Long Beach, California.
www.brynnart.com
Kelley mcmorrisPortland, Oregon is the home of freelance illustrator Kelley. State University. Her clients include Disney Hyperion and Scholastic. She also works on the indie video game Crea.
www.kmcmorris.com
need our advice?Email [email protected] with your art questions and we’ll provide all the answers!
Extra colourEd light
to create a more intense light effect i add a
pink light inside the helmet. this won’t
affect the glass part so there’s no need to add
pink reflections on it. i just add some bright
pink on the back and jawline of my figure.
Artist’s secret
I like to add a lots of glow, lens flare effect when I paint reflective surfaces, and here I paint some subtle ones over her face.
I’ve made a custom brush for this article, which enables me to paint the light reflecting off the helmet. It’s included with this issue’s resources.
30
ImagineNation Artist Q&A
January 2017
get your resources
See page 6 now!
2
1
3
Step-by-step:capture the look of a futuristic glass helmet
QuestionAny tips for concepting a manga mascot?Christian Talbot, Australia
AnswerJia-Ying replies
when creating an animal companion to a manga character, it’s important to note that the design shouldn’t take too much attention
away from the human. it’s always helpful to keep the colour palette minimal as well. think of any notable manga character or series that has an animal mascot: the creature is generally designed to be simple, iconic and appealing.
Before i start concepting, i consider existing animals that i can use for inspiration. For this article, i want to incorporate some cat and hare features, because the result of fusing two different entities is a tried but fun method. i also have the option to use elemental or even cultural themes which, depending on what you’re going for, can help drive the story behind your animal mascot.
in this case, i just want this fantasy animal to exude a magical vibe. i include traits like a flaming tail and markings on its head and ears to hint of an underlying, more powerful form, that might manifest later on to aid the main
Assuming the animal mascot will be appearing regularly next to your character, keeping the overall design simple will allow for better readability.
To create a sense of harmony, I first fill in the
background colours, then work over the main focus
with the determined colour direction.
From my concept sketch I create a round shape with a custom textured
brush. I don’t want the glass to have an overly clean look, even if it’s usually a smooth polished surface. I use a neutral violet colour for this base. The glass shape and volume is only suggested by curved brush strokes and the rest of the helmet.
I refine the previous lines, and erase some dark parts inside the helmet
leaving more room for my character. I try to create a clean, curved shape. I work the face as normal; I choose to keep the glass uncoloured, but you can quickly achieve coloured glass by adding colour on a low Opacity layer on top of the figure’s face.
To add light I paint some almost white curved lines on the borders of the glass
part, where the glass is the most reflective. Adding some coloured hints of the surrounding environment will increase the realism of your helmet. With a very small Round brush I add small dots of light on the edges to bring in reflection effects.
gEt it litNeed your light source
to pop? My favourite
thing to do in Photoshop
is to use the color dodge
tool to highlight certain
spots. it’s a quick and
effective way to draw
attention to your main
subject using contrast.
Artist’s secret
manga character in their journey. i imagine that the creature would abruptly enter the character’s life, as they often do, disrupting the normalcy and heralding a new adventure. to convey the impression, i used a bedroom setting so that it seem like the creature is trespassing into a person’s private space.
31
Your questions answered...
January 2017
1 2
43
Step-by-step: paint decaying plants quickly
QuestionHow can I paint decaying vegetation?Morgan Winter, Canada
AnswerMélanie replies
painting decaying plants can add a nice touch to a composition, and they can be a strong storytelling element.
my example will feature eden gone wrong, with a gorgeous woman surrounded by dead plants. i want to create a contrast between healthy and dead vegetation. to achieve this i’ll play with the shapes and colours. a healthy plant will be basically straight and green in colour, while a dead one will be bent and feature autumn-like colours.
the shape and the colour scheme are both important to create the sense of decay. a dead plant loses all its colours, so
I start with a curved shape for the stems of dying
plants. I choose a dark green to increase the sense of decay. I keep some stems straight to show that they’re growing next to the figure. Then I add the leaves, keeping their shape simple. The edges aren’t clean and that’s the key trick when painting decaying matter. The same technique applies to the flowers in the scene.
I choose this colour scheme to show the
difference between healthy and dying plants. On the left are the green pastel colours I use to create my Eden, and on the right are the autumn brown tones that will represent dying, decaying plants. I use some nude skin colour highlights instead of grey to create a link between my character and the dead vegetation.
Now I play with the light, increasing the contrast
between the dead plants in the foreground and the background. I add more light on their wilted leaves, and sharpen their outlines slightly. I really want to create a crisp look here. I use a basic hard edge Round brush to add dots of light. Finally, I choose some desaturated colours to ramp up the feeling of decay.
Now I start to add details on the leaves. The stems
don’t need much work because they’re very thin elements. To create the wilted texture I simply scribble on my leaf base with a very small Round brush. I need to create a rough appearance with plenty of colour variations. I enhance the sense of dying vegetation by adding angular outlines instead of the normal curves of leaves.
its green stem and leaves are replaced by a lot of brown, orange and even black and grey parts. if you want to paint flowers then the colour scheme needs to be treated differently. the flower colours simply fade away, so for example instead of having a bright red the petals will be paler and desaturated with some hints of brown.
the wilting plants and flowers quickly conveys to the viewer that the vegetation is dying. note that the petals and leaves react in a different manner: their oval shape becomes distorted as they curl up and droop. to create this effect you just have to paint a crazy leaf shape – my walkthrough will explain things in more detail…
Even in this basic sketch, it’s clear which plants are in rude health, and which ones are destined for the compost heap.
ImagineNation Artist Q&A
32 January 2017
Artist’s secretdEad lEavEs brush
to speed up my painting process when i have to
do some repetitive elements like leaves, i
usually create brushes like this one. i add some
shadows and light, and rework the whole
thing to develop more volume and realism.
I add some dead leaves blowing all around the
character, to emphasise the sense of decay and give the
scene extra dynamism.
2
1
3
I make the light ray shine across the character, not quite hitting the eyes because I want them hidden to give a sense of disconnect.
QuestionHelp me paint dramatic lighting and shadowsFia Håkansson, Sweden
AnswerJia-Ying replies
Before i start the painting, i consider the mood and the story that i want to tell. i’ll go through a mental list of scenes that will be
appropriate, or subjects whose intentions will be complemented by having dramatic lighting. in this case, i want to depict a darkly clad figure who’s sneaking her way through a dingy passageway, lit only by the light from the setting sun streaming from the air vents.
an important aspect of lighting is mood creation: the intensity of the light source and colour of the light both help set the tone of the
scene. here, i choose to soften the light around the cheek and hair a little to suggest empathy for the character, while contrasting with the harsh reflection of the blade in her hand.
using light and shadows, we can highlight the key parts of the composition, and guide the viewer’s focus on to certain areas. For this painting, i choose hard, diagonally cast light, to not only emphasise the slant of the weapon, but to cast half the character’s face in shadow, implying an element of secrecy. the intense light that’s reflecting off the sharp blade further amplifies its deadly purpose.
Step-by-step:establish lighting over different surfaces
I start with a quick sketch, then block out the character with a Layer Mask to
keep my painting within the confines of the main figure. The lines don’t have to be clean because I tend to colour over them afterwards. I select a monochrome background colour, so that the cast of a bright, orange light will further stand out.
I go over the character’s skin with warm tones, keeping the shading
smooth to denote softness and youth. On the other hand, the light reflecting off the weapon is blinding and sharp. With a saturated orange hue, I use the Color Dodge tool to go over the brightest areas, like the tip of her cheekbone and knuckles.
After a quick splash of light across the background, I start to paint over the
sketch, and erase away some of the unwanted edges. I use large brush strokes to fill in the rough shape of the folds with a rectangle brush. At this stage, I also Liquify parts of the initial drawing like the eyes and mouth to improve on the overall look.
Your questions answered...
33January 2017
AnswerKelley replies
For this example, I’ll place my glowing runes in an ancient spell book. I start by establishing the setting. It’s
important for the glowing runes to contrast against the background. If the environment or book pages were in brightly lit sunshine, the runes would hardly be visible at all. I choose to set the scene at night, and paint the book pages a medium brown colour, so that the runes can really stand out.
Now it’s time to paint the runes. My formula for painting glowing things is to
AnswerTony replies
Not until getting this question did it ever occur to me how strange painting a mirage is. Technically, a mirage is an
optical illusion that occurs when light rays bend while taking the path of least resistance around a pocket of hot air. To us, it creates a reflection just above ground that looks almost exactly like a body of water.
First point in capturing the illusion is making sure you’re painting the mirage over a flat stretch of land. It generally
QuestionWhat techniques will help me paint a convincing desert mirage?Adnan Nordström, Sweden
QuestionI want to make my runes glow, rather than appear yellow. Help!Hayden Meekin, New Zealand
Controlling the blur
When you get towards the end and are softening up
edges, make sure to keep an extra copy of the hard-edged
version. that way, if things become too soft, you can just
erase away back to the original image.
draw the glowing element on its own layer. Then I duplicate that layer and blur it using the Gaussian Blur filter. That’s what creates the glowing effect. I adjust the Layer Opacity to change the intensity of the glow.
Here, I want the runes to have a golden glow to contrast with the cool environment. The rune layer is in a light yellow, while the blurred glow layer is in a darker gold colour. It may seem that using pure white would make your runes seem the brightest, but sometimes a darker, coloured glow can actually appear to be more intense.
Artist’s secret
doesn’t travel up or down hills, so drawing it that way can undercut the fidelity. Next, make sure that the mirage reflects the things located just above it. You can actually paint the horizon on a separate layer, duplicate it and flip the whole thing vertically to save a little time.
Since you want to differentiate this from a lake, though, I suggest softening the edges located around and directly above the mirage, to imply the heat distortion. Sometimes
Weathered carvings, overgrown vines, and glowing runes all add up to an unmistakably magical, mysterious setting.
they have pretty sharp edges, but the more clean your borders are the less obvious it is that it’s not just still water.
That being said, there’s one thing I’ve found that I think reinforces the fact that it’s a mirage. Sometimes, if the mirage is right on the horizon line it can obfuscate big chunks of it. Because the heat is bending the light from the horizon, it makes everything sitting above it appear to be free floating. Since this phenomena rarely occurs otherwise, it helps sell the narrative.
ImagineNation Artist Q&A
34 January 2017
The tough part is trying to paint a mirage in a way that isn’t exactly the same as painting a lake in the same spot That mirror-like feeling is important, so make sure you play it up.
Step-by-step: Painting magical runes
First I paint the book pages without any runes. I use the Flat fan high
bristle count default Photoshop brush in various shades of brown to give the pages a weathered and aged look. I pay special attention to the edges of the pages, making them crinkled and torn.
I duplicate the rune layer and name it “glow layer”. Using the Hue/Saturation
window, I change the glow layer to a medium gold colour. Then I use the Gaussian Blur filter to soften and create the glowing effect, adjusting the Blur and Layer Opacity to enhance the look.
On a new layer, I use a default hard Round brush to draw some runes in a
solid, light yellow colour. These symbols are my own design. For this technique (and just in general) it’s helpful to keep your layers well-organised, so I name this layer “rune layer”.
QuestionHow do I illustrate an aging fantasy creature?Marie Obrien, US
AnswerBrynn replies
Showing age in your imaginary creatures is a great way to incorporate story and believability into
your design. In order to paint an aging fantasy creature, we must think about how real-life animals and organisms show their age.
To get started, I’ll concept a creature’s bust. I’m not too worried about age just yet, but I know that I’m depicting an adult rather than a juvenile so I make sure its eyes aren’t too big and that it’s features aren’t too soft.
When we think about age, we think about experience. The idea is that this creature has lived long enough to go through a lot of different experiences, good and bad. We can utilise visual cues like scarring and wrinkles to indicate past battles, facial movement over time and sun damage. Discoloured fur and skin can indicate more sun damage and overall cell damage. If you’ve ever met an older dog, you’ll know the tell-tale grey fur that shows up on most dogs’ faces. Greying out one of the eyes could also show that the creature has started to go blind. Broken or worn-down teeth and horns can also indicate a long life. You can also indicate age with posture.
Aged creatures will always look more interesting than clean or new-looking creatures, so try to incorporate a lived-in look into your design work.
use layers to stay organiseWorking digitally enables
you to keep enhancements
on separate layers. you can
take away and add in
elements to keep the design
from looking too busy. i use
Multiply layers for shadows
and overlay layers for
greyed-out areas like
discolouration and scaring.
Artist’s secret
Your questions answered...
35January 2017
1 32
Adding in irregular shapes like long whiskers, discoloured skin and a hunched posture can help sell the idea that this creature is old.
Keep the lines and wrinkles random – it will feel more natural this way. Painting in your textures individually will help, as will asymmetrical features.
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Marc SiMonettiWhere many artists failed, the French
illustrator succeeded. Marc tells Gary Evans how he accurately drew
the most recognisable chair in fiction…
38 January 2017
Hall of KingS Marc Simonetti’s suitably epic cover for Terry Brooks’ 1977 fantasy novel Sword of Shannara.
Artist Portfolio
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Marc SiMonettiArtist Portfolio
worked. They somehow didn’t quite match the image in the author’s head.
The Iron Throne is a grotesque thing, described as being built using a thousand twisted steel blades. It’s big, too. So big that the king must climb steps to sit on it. Up to now, Marc had drawn the throne in silhouette. Then he came up with a new idea: he’d set the ugly throne against a beautiful background. The author, George RR Martin, liked what he saw.
“The Iron Throne worked once I did the background,” says the French illustrator. “Because picturing that big throne in a strong, beautiful environment balances out its ugliness. I just had to correct a few things and clean the piece. George said: ‘This is this one!’”
The Game of Thrones author was so impressed with the 2014 illustration – eventually published in companion book The World of Ice & Fire – that he suggested anyone who draws the throne in future should first consult Marc’s drawing.
arc Simonetti received a very detailed
commission from an author. It described a throne – now perhaps
the most famous throne not just in fantasy but in fiction. In the past, many artists attempted to illustrate this throne – including Marc – but nobody had yet got it quite right.
This time, the French illustrator drew more than 50 versions. Still none of them
profilEMarc Simonettilocation: FrancefavouritE artiStS: Sparth, Khang Le, Raphael Lacoste, Aleksi Briclot, Alberto Mielgo, Phil Hale, Jeremy Mann and Greg Manchess.SoftwarE uSEd: Photoshop, Modo, ZBrush, 3D-Coat and Cinema 4DwEb: http://art.marcsimonetti.com
George said the French artist got it “absolutely right”.
“With some commissions,” Marc says, “I read the whole book and then submit an idea. On others, I attempt to answer a brief. But I always try to have at least one small thing that makes the illustration pop. I can see when an illustration is beginning to acquire a special kind of visual interest, because it starts to vibrate.”
Marc is best known for his work on George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novels. He’s also illustrated Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth and the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb. Beyond his book illustrations, the Frenchman has created concept art for
I’m just a geek, a fan of comics, fantasy and science fiction. My goal is to visually translate the feeling I have
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tHe Hunt In this piece for Le Pré aux Clercs publishing company’s 2014 calendar, Marc contrasts the darkness of violence with the lightness of nature.
EA, Ubisoft and Activision. More recently, he moved into feature films.
“Sometimes I think I’m just a random geek,” he says, “a fan of comics, fantasy and science fiction. My illustrations have something that uses that generic language. Most of my ideas come from books, from my visual library. When I make an illustration, my only goal is to visually translate the feeling I have.”
da Vinci waS an engineerMarc studied at two art schools at two very different times in his life. He attended the first – in French Alpine town Annecy – between eight and 14 years old. But art was just a hobby back then. Really, he wanted to be an engineer. “Engineering looked kind of interesting, from a child’s point of view. But, for me, Leonardo da Vinci was an engineer.”
He found his career as an engineer a bit different to da Vinci’s. So Marc signed up to the Emile Cohl School in Lyon.
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41January 2017
age of MytH Marc’s people are dwarfed by the place in which he draws them on the cover for Age of Myth by Michael J Sullivan.
turtle recall This is cover art for
Turtle Recall by Stephen Briggs and the late
Terry Pratchett.
SHadow of eMpire Marc shows off his love of
perspective on the cover for Jay Allan’s novel Shadow of Empire.
1 simple compositionI first did a very simple, central composition: the subject had to be extremely massive and impressive, and the characters have to be dwarfed there. Then I did a very fast sketch on 3D-Coat that I rendered into KeyShot. This first step took me less than one hour, but helped me develop a solid base for this illustration.
2 correctionsTo correct a composition, I follow two paths. I try to avoid tangents and graphical nodes that would make the illustration hard to read. Second, I just try to feel things out. When a composition is good, things just feel natural.
illuStratinG thE futurEMarc explains how he illustrated a book from the influential Dune seriesI made this illustration for Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert for Centipede Press. Dune is one of my favourite books: it had a huge impact on me and on thousands of people, so it was a big thing to able to illustrate one. This image represents the walk of the Reverend Mother toward Paul Muad’dib, in his huge reception room – a room that could contain the biggest cathedrals from our world. I had several objectives: convey the sense of scale, make the two characters clearly visible, create a kind of architecture that fits the book, and show the time period – a time thousands of years ahead of us (the first Dune starts at the year 10,191). It had to reflect an alien architecture, with millions of known planets, and a huge empire. So I had to take some actual architecture references and create new patterns and shapes.
“I attended for one year, to change my professional life. I was 25 years old then. I didn’t like my work as an engineer, so there was a lot at stake. I learnt as much as I could in that year, but my personal work was even more intense than the work done for the school.”
The Frenchman joined a video games company straight out of art school, but it took over five years before he made a decent living from his art.
Marc always strives to make his paintings closely resemble the text he’s illustrating for, as with George’s Iron Throne. But there are a couple of characteristics that tie Marc’s
work together. “Fetishes,” he calls them. He loves perspective, especially perspectives that look a bit wrong, a little twisted. One of the problems George had with past illustrations of the Iron Throne was the scale. They simply weren’t big enough. No one does big quite like Marc.
Starting oVerHis environments go off into the distance and straight over the horizon for thousands of miles. His people are often dwarfed by the places in which he draws them. He loves colours, using them to create depth and mood. Some illustrations he gets right first time. Others, he has to start over again and again.
“At the end of the day, only my name will be at the bottom of the illustration, so I have to give my best each time. If I have to change a part of the picture that kills the composition or the colour scheme, I adjust the rest to make it work again. Most of the time it’s for the best. A good
I’m fine with people expressing themselves. Not everyone has to like my stuff
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nôo Don’t look down: Marc’s cover art for Nôo by Stefan Wul takes plunging perspective to a whole new level.
Artist Portfolio
3 adding colourI began adding colours. I wanted something very coloured, as complex as possible, to create contrast between the very simple tapestry and the very complex bas-reliefs of the wall.
4 painting with valuesI could then start to paint using the values I had from the colours and the tones of my base.
5 personal artThis project enabled me to make a very personal piece with a professional subject. I think mixing the two is best, both for me and my clients, because in these cases I can give them something a little less usual, something that just comes from me.
6 going furtherThis piece was a long push to the end, but it’s the kind of work that makes me go further and adds new worlds to my visual library. A new subject can bring new shapes and new arrangements of colours, and spending a lot of time on it just embeds it deeper into your mind, making those assets part of your vocabulary.
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43January 2017
nailinG thE thronEMarc explains how he drew George RR Martin’s initially very elusive but now very famous Iron Throne for Game of ThronesFor me the Iron Throne was one of the major fantasy icons that hadn’t been nailed. I had the idea of a correct shape, but it still didn’t work well with George. What made it work was the moment I decided to paint its whole environment first. In the books there are very few descriptions of the throne room. All we know is that it’s in the Red Keep, and that there were a lot of dragon skulls in it. So
making a huge, beautiful, symmetrical place very impressive but very regular and boring in its shapes, made the ugly and twisted Iron Throne work. Both of the elements were inspired by San Pietro in the Vatican. But one was clearly majestic and regal, while the other one was clearly evil. This is just a composition tool that made the design of the throne work. It was a big, big lesson for me.
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iron tHrone Now the most famous chair in fiction, it took Marc Simonetti
over 50 iterations to gain George RR Martin’s approval.
art director can really help make a great illustration.”
Marc rents a small flat above his apartment, which he uses as a workspace. He sits at a big desk – two screens, Cintiq 27QHD graphics tablet – and works mainly in Photoshop. He also uses Modo, ZBrush, 3D-Coat and Cinema 4D. An average illustration project takes him between two and five days to complete.
“My only routine,” he says, “is to work every day, the whole day, whether I have a lot of work or none at all. To be training or working constantly makes the progression, and to get better every day is vital. A perfect workday is the day I can finally finish a picture that I love, then begin a new project that I’m very excited about.”
creatiVe freedoM Marc is currently working on two projects that offer the kind of creative freedom he enjoys most. He’s drawing interior illustrations and cover art for the Shannara trilogy by Terry Brooks and Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah. He always reads the book he’s illustrating – not all artists do. He also does a lot of extra research to ensure these illustrations are accurate.
As a working artist, his goal is always to please the client. But until the image is finished, he doesn’t think about anyone but himself. Whether working freely or within
a more strict commission, Marc says that what comes out on the page is always a product of what’s already inside him.
“There’s more freedom illustrating a small sci-fi novel: I just have to be faithful to the text and make a beautiful picture to sell the book. When I do concept art for games or movies, my goal isn’t to make a final product. It’s all about solving problems: how the mood should be, how to design some props, how some parts could work. So I have to be faithful with the visual identity of the game or movie. I’m just a small part of a team, so all my
My only routine is to work every day, all day, whether I have work or none at all
assets have to be clean and crystal clear to make them usable in 3D later on.
“I like constructive criticism, but I don’t know how to handle compliments. I’m perfectly okay with people expressing themselves. Not everyone has to like my stuff. But you can take any of my illustrations, keep the same composition, lighting and colours, but change the setting – say, from fantasy to steampunk – and it will still work. I try to adapt myself to each book and each theme, but I can only work with my own personality, my own feelings, my own choices.”
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45January 2017
tHe red proceSSion Marc’s moody, atmospheric piece for 2014 dark fantasy
calendar published by Le Pré aux Clercs.
tHe doorS This piece for Le Pré aux Clercs’
dark fantasy calendar shows Marc’s talents for scale and space.
leS SeigneurS de BoHen The cover for Estelle Faye’s novel Les Seigneurs de Bohen features Marc’s spellbinding representation of the story.
aMerican godS This is a fake cover art for American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Marc tried to do something different, more personal too.
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Ilya Kuvshinov shows how he created our manga special’s cover. We also have a Genzoman workshop, talk to YouTube star Ross Tran, get an insight into Stranger Things promo art, visit The Sequence Group, celebrate a 2000 AD milestone and more!
We cover epic environments this issue, and bring you the cream of artists who are busy creating new worlds for video games and films. Elsewhere, creature artist Brynn Metheney shows us around her studio and we take in the vehicle designs of Scott Robertson.
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We launch our games art special with Remko Troost’s cover art, then we visit the For Honor team at Ubisoft Montreal. Even Mehl Amundsen talks anger, we see how Blizzard hire staff, and there are workshops on character, vehicle and environment design.
Inside our film art issue there are workshops inspired by Blade Runner, Planet of the Apes and the work of Guillermo del Toro. Plus we talk to the costume designer of Pirates of the Carribean, reveal how to capture movement in your art, and more!
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profile
Curly horned unicorns share page space with pumpkin
birds in this book illustrat
or’s lively sketchbook
Kiri Østergaard Leonard
PumPkin Birdies
“These were some concepts for a set of Halloween cards.”
mr Bogglesworth“I decided earlier last year that
I wanted to practise my line work, and this little guy was the first in a series of
faerie sketches.”
Kiri Østergaard leonardlocation: US
Kiri grew up surrounded by beautiful nature and a variety of farmstead animals in a tiny village named Boeslum in
Denmark, Scandinavia. She left her home country behind to pursue an illustration career in New York City. She now lives in Austin, Texas, where she thrives as a full-time illustrator. www.kirileonard.com
January 201748
“I tried to focus on the emotion. I wanted the viewer to feel the sadness and pain”
montague mouse“Character development
sketches for a storybook I’m working on. Montague Mouse
is the main character.”
sad times“One of the themes is how despair leads to nowhere good. This is a
rough sketch for one of Montague’s darkest moments in the story. I tried to focus heavily on the
emotion. I wanted the viewer to feel the sadness and pain.”
good friends“Here’s a heavyset frog that
Montague befriends during his travels. I was trying to decide on
the size difference between the two characters.”
January 2017 49
Sketchbook Kiri Østergaard Leonard
the fairy fisherman
“You have to watch out for what lurks below, when you go fishing.”
owl sketches“Playing around with
ideas for horned owls. I’ve always thought owls are fascinating birds.”
the halloween Parliament
“I do an annual Halloween illustration – this was the
one for 2016.”
kelPie“A creature from
Scottish folklore. They’re delightfully creepy.”
January 201750
“The older the Siberian unicorn gets, the more his horn curls”
swamPland“This is a setting concept
for a storybook in development.”
siBerian curlycorn
“The older the Siberian unicorn gets the more his horn curls. This specimen is still relatively young.”
unicorn mother and foal“This is the underdrawing for a painting. These two feature on a unicorn-themed
calendar that I’m working on.”
Want to share your sketches? Email us with a selection of your artwork, to [email protected] NEXT MONTH’S SKETCHBOOK: ABHiSHEK SiNgH
January 2017 51
Sketchbook Kiri Østergaard Leonard
Graphic design Web design 3D Digital art
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The number one destination for digital art news, views and how-tos.
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54 AdddramatoyourbookartCapturing attention is key for book cover art. Tommy Arnold shows how to make potential readers linger.
60 ColouringwithmangainmindClip Studio Paint’s most useful time-saving methods explained by Tan Hui Tian.
64 PaintingadaylightsceneEmphasise body language and mood with bounce light, says Suzanne Helmigh.
70 Takealaid-backapproachtoartPeter Polach shares the way he illustrates a figure while doing his “relaxing jazz thing on the canvas.”
74 16explosivetipsforbettercompositionsApply a range of methods from Jon Foster to give your artwork added visual impact.
80 PortraitartinCorelPainterBorislav Mitkov sails the High Seas as he explains his portraiture process.
This issue:
Advice from the world’s best artists
Workshopsassetsareavailable…
Download each workshop’s WIPs, final image and brushes by turning to page 6. And if you see the video
workshop badge, you can watch the artist in action, too.
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Draw from lifeThe best way to learn tosee is to draw from life. In drawing from lifeyou’re forced to groupand understand values inthe same way you’ll haveto do when working from reference. You’re also forced to take whatyou’re seeing in three dimensions and translate that on to a two-dimensional surface. Thisis the primary advantageof drawing from life over drawing from photos.
aDD Drama to your book artCapturing the viewer with your art is no more important than when it’s on a book cover. tommy arnold reveals how to make potential readers linger
here are so many images in our day-to-day world, all competing for our attention. As artists, we tend to think
that sheer beauty through rendering is the key to getting attention, but the average viewer can’t tell the difference between something immaculately painted and something painted just well enough to do the trick.
You should certainly try to paint well, but you need to remember that your target audience is actually non-artists –
and that’s the vast majority of people. As a cover artist, my job is to make someone who wouldn’t have picked up a book or magazine stop, take notice, and pick it up. After that, my job is done.
This simple little interaction happens at something near the speed of light, and the time it would take for a potential buyer to “appreciate” an image doesn’t even come into play before they’ve made up their mind.
How can I make up their mind for them? I can simplify and organise my
image in ways that make the image easy to look at and understand. I can make sure my cover is unlike the other images next to it on the shelf. I can make sure my image reads well from a distance as well as up close. I can ask the potential buyer questions in the form of an unresolved narrative, or try to bring my image to life by giving it a sense of movement. In every cover that I create, I try to use all these strategies and more if possible, because the battle for their attention is all-out war, and no one’s taking prisoners.
tommy arnoldLocation: US
Tommy worksfreelance asa full-timeillustrator. Hisclients include
Tor Books, Orbit Booksand Wizards of the Coast. http://ifxm.ag/t-arnold
t
1 Sketching the ideaThis is where illustration really happens; everything after
this point will be academic. I know we want the figure interacting with the ImagineFX logo so I start there, sketching variations of falling, climbing and rappelling poses using only a hard Round brush with Pressure Sensitivity turned on. Once I have a pose I like, I try to complement it with environment and props that flesh out the narrative and the design.
2 Shooting reference materialRealism in illustration is a matter of reference; I wish that
someone had told me that when I was starting out. Illustrators have been using reference since the inception of the industry and all the very best still do. I pay for models and costumes and organise photo shoots where I work from my sketch to try and get the information I’ll need to draw from. This part of the creative process is actually really fun!
Photoshop
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In depth Add drama
January 2017 55
4 Colourising the linesI duplicate my line work and on that new layer, I press
Ctrl+U to open the Hue/Saturation adjustment panel. I check the Colorize box and slide the saturation up until my lines turn red. After applying the change, I erase the red lines anywhere where there isn’t flesh. The red lines will integrate with the piece as it develops, giving the skin a luminous quality.
5 Introducing flat coloursUnder my line work, I paint in major areas of colour with a flat Round brush. Each distinct colour is on its own layer, and I try
to paint each area as the average mid-tone colour I want there. This enables me to see major colour relationships early, and I can adjust each spot colour individually until I’m happy. I make selections out of each layer before moving on.
3 Producing a tight drawingIn Photoshop, I assemble the relevant reference photography and drop a white layer over
it on a low Opacity. I transfer my reference lightbox-style to start, and then make the white layer fully opaque so all I see is my drawing. I then modify and redraw from there to figure out every bit of form before I start slinging paint around. I take my time on this stage.
resources
PhotoshoP
Wet eDgeD Paint
grunger
Use this anywhere you want a razor-sharp edge. The soft back edge integrates the stroke with existing marks.
For creating movement in paint. The wet edges contrast with the random shapes to keep painterly passages dynamic.
Use this to texturise and define rough or pebbled areas. I primarily used this brush to paint the falling rocks.
custom brushes: PaLette knife
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7 Take time over the faceThe face is the most time-consuming part of any image.
Commit to it, and be okay with however long it takes. Even up to 50 per cent of the full painting time is an acceptable amount. Seriously. Look closely at your reference and use any tools at your disposal to get this right. One of the few things any person on earth can see is if you’ve got the face wrong.
6 Diving straight into the painting processNow I flatten the image and begin working on top of it. Layers breed complication so I always work upwards. I choose an area
– in this instance I select the skin and musculature, which is something I love to paint – and just get down to painting right away. I have an excellent roadmap laid out for how the piece should proceed, so now all I have to do is follow it.
8 Capturing the look of the trousersI can relax a bit now because the trousers, compared to the face, are easy. I look
carefully at what surface effects are portrayed in my reference; I really want that shine of leather and the matte, military finish on the holster. I paint using a combination of transparent and opaque layers, flattening often as I go and continuing to work upwards.
color balancecmd+b (mac)ctrl+b (Pc)
Modify the colour of yourcurrent selection. Usefulfor taking sketches to colour quickly.
use your referenceEven if you can’t afford to hire models or buy costumes, you can afford to shoot some cell phone photos of yourself or a friend. Take the time to do this! Once you have the reference, use it, but don’t copy it. The biggest problem I see in people working from reference is that they copy the values of the photograph literally, rather than adjusting them to fit the design of their painting.
In depth Add drama
January 2017 57
10 Hands, arms and smudgingWhew! Another break from the face. Take a look at your
reference and paint what you see. Good painting is seeing well. Focus on separating light from shadow, and on the relative hardness and softness of edges to accurately portray forms. As I continually flatten, I use the Smudge brush to adjust paint and remove the line work that’s lingering in the figure.
9 Turning back to the faceThroughout the painting I keep coming back to the face as I notice tiny new details and
deficiencies that I’d like to amend. Never let a painting be done until you’re satisfied with it. Put in the time. I keep my reference on a layer over my painting and flick it on and off to help myself see even the tiniest inaccuracies in my work.
11 Depicting the character’s tools of her tradeIn a piece where there’s no environment to speak of, only the flat white of the page, everything in the
image needs to be painted superbly. Taking close stock of my reference, I set about painting the falling pickaxe and hammer. I’m careful to obey the perspective lines that govern their forms, and not to make them so high-contrast that they distract from the main subject, the figure.
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14 Ramping up the sense of actionI add some more floating debris, bits of leaves, particles of falling rock, and anything
else I can think of to add mayhem and activity to this scene. I smudge a few edges to soften them so that everything isn’t crystal-clear (this is an action scene after all), and I’m done!
13 Looking out for all those rocksWith the focal foreground areas complete, and all line
work eradicated from the piece, I take some large, highly textured brushes and work on the carved rocks falling all around our main figure. Big, simple forms like this are much easier to invent than specific human anatomy and tools, but I still make sure to obey the lighting scheme established in my reference.
12 Perfecting the character’s faceI’ve been working almost like a printer, moving through the image methodically and finishing one area at a time. The
immense amount of pre-planning makes this possible, but some areas still present challenges. Many aspects of the face are invented (my reference in this area isn’t particularly great), and that demands that I go back to it one last time and not stop until I’m satisfied.
copy mergedcmd+shift+c (mac)ctrl+shift+c (Pc)This is useful for flatteningtransparent layer
modes into opaque, Normal layers.
In depth Add drama
January 2017 59
Colouring with manga in mindtan hui tian explains colouring techniques that are ideal for manga, and shows how you can build these time-saving methods into your process
he process of manga-style colouring doesn’t differ hugely from those of western comics, although there are
some stylistic quirks. My own illustration style is a mixture of various influences, and the distinction may be an unnecessary one.
Typically, manga colouring tends to have flatter values and doesn’t aim to be perfectly realistic. The archetypal manga created digitally usually retains its line art and has a smoother, airbrushed colouring
compared to a more painterly quality favoured by other artists.
Most of the quirks are perhaps by-products of artists influenced by the animation produced by the Japanese film studios. In anime, cel-shading is the preferred method of colourising the frames, and gradients are employed to give the images more depth.
Owing to the nature of the manga style, I tend to separate the colouring process into blocks of colours on different layers, and add layer modes on top. For other art
styles, I may choose to paint everything on one layer once the initial sketch and colour comps have been approved.
Separating elements onto different layers is a good thing to have for client projects, when changes are requested. However, having too many layers for a single illustration slows you down and would be confusing should you not have a good naming convention. It takes time to find your personal balance when developing a painting process, so see what works best for you.
t
1 Brush Combine modes and colour mixing
Brush Combine modes are only available on the Pastel brushes. Typically, I use them to lay down values quickly after finishing the flat colours. The advantage of this method is the hue shift that’s inherent in many of the combine modes. The Color Mixing tool is depicted by two merging circles. It acts similarly to Photoshop’s Mixer Brush tool and is great for developing interesting colour effects.
2 General brushes and contour line paintMost of the brushes blend into each other like real paint does, and is one of the major reasons Clip Studio Paint is preferred by
many artists as opposed to other programs. You can adjust the blending with the brush settings. And if you want to replicate the look of watercolours, you can do so with a good amount of control and finesse with the Watercolor tool. The Contour Line Paint tool is a colour fill tool that creates a natural gradient between two coloured lines, and is especially useful for cleaner styles.
Clip Studio Paint
tan hui tianloCation: Singapore
Tan is a seniorillustrator atCollateralDamage Studios. Her
academic background is graphic design and so her illustrations have a strong sense of design. http://ifxm.ag/th-tian
Overlay is a convenient way to introduce hue shifts.
To quickly lay down shadows and highlights, use Brush Combine mode rather than layer modes.
You can simulate watercolour painting by using a variety of brush types.
Close Gap can be toggled with other fill tools, and makes colouring line art with small gaps faster.
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3 Colour flatting Colour flatting in Clip Studio Paint is a straightforward process because with the Close Gaps option selected, you don’t have to
worry about stray gaps. I create a base colour by clicking outside the line art, then invert the selection (Ctrl+Alt+I) and fill it with a neutral colour. This ensures there aren’t any transparent pixels left by the flat colours above it afterwards. I combine certain colour blocks that aren’t close to each other in a single layer, both for convenience and to reduce the number of layers.
4 Basic colouring techniquesHere, I’ve mainly used the smooth Watercolor brush. But you can use other
brushes depending on what you want the final product to look like. You can colourise the line art using the Tonal Corrections option, or lock the transparency of that layer (indicated by a padlock icon beside a transparent square) and colour it manually.
5 Layer modes Most layer modes in Clip Studio Paint mirror those in other art
programs such as Paint Tool SAI. The pink translucent coat on her hips has a layer on a reduced Opacity on Normal, and another on Add (Glow). The tan lines are achieved using an Overlay layer.
The colouring looks more vibrant when hue shifts are involved.
The advantage of using Layer Mode is that you can easily adjust or delete that layer.
tools for mixing colourDon’t be afraid to usemore than one tool forcolouring. I find that using the Contour LinePaint tool and then usingother tools like theWatercolor brushes canbe a great way to colouras well. If you’re afraidabout trying a newmethod, duplicate or create a new layer first.
Experiment with different layer modes and think about the various ways you can apply them.
Being able to select from different layers makes workflow more efficient when you have multiple line art layers.
Dividing sections of colours and naming them will also streamline your painting process.
Post-processing (colour and exporting).
next month
Work from big, soft brush strokes to tighter, smaller strokes.
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In depth Manga colouring
From anatomy to figure drawing, sketching skills and character design…
Drawing & painting
62 January 2017
63January 2017
All this… and more!
Issue 144 on sale In the uK Friday 30 December
Anatomy masterclass Simple steps to get better at anatomy, with teacher and artist Glenn Vilppu.
Draw better faces todayWhen to follow the rules – and when to go a little bit crazy, with Julian del Rey.
Learn from the mastersArtist Howard Lyon reveals how the past masters can help us learn today.
Intricate pencil techniquesMiles Johnston share his pencil skills for drawing a very detailed image.
Patrick J Jones shares his
unmissable techniques for figure drawing.
painting a daylight scenesuzanne helmigh uses bounce light to help emphasise body language and mood, creating a summer scene for an illustration
Photoshop
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his painting depicts one of the scenes from my illustrated novel, Caldyra. It’s a dialogue between two people, with
the emphasis on the mood and body language. Every illustration I make for this project supports the story, and has pre-made concept art for the world in which it takes place.
In this workshop I’ll show how I approach the depiction of the characters and the environment, because one element influences the rendering process of the other. I search for new challenges
in all my illustration work, and with this workshop I’m learning about the influence of daylight and shading over various materials such as plants, rocks, skin, hair, gold and light fabrics.
Before tackling a new topic I’ll make time to research it. During the summer I took lots of photos and notes to analyse the colours and effects a blue sky has on everything in view. I also found that the more I render the environment, the more I have to render the characters, and vice versa. Okay, let’s see how we can make this summer scene come to life!
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suzanne helmighlocation: Sweden
Suzanne is a concept artist who’s worked for Guerrilla (Sony) and
Mood Visuals. She’s currently freelance and developing an illustrated novel, Caldyra. http://ifxm.ag/suzhelm
get your resources
See page 6 now!
1 Planning the imageI start out with a clear plan in mind. I think about the story
I want to tell with my image and carefully arrange the placement of all the elements. I make concept art for anything that needs designing and do research, by looking at reference photos, to come up with a colour scheme and lighting direction.
2 Environmental colour blockingI use a big painterly brush to block out the colour shapes of
the environment. With the light direction in mind I create the most obvious dark and light regions. I keep elements such as trees, foliage, the ground and sky separate by putting them on their own layers. This makes it easy to paint in front or behind objects.
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In depth Daylight scene
take breaksI often work on multiple pieces at the same time. This enables me to take breaks from an illustration and return to it with fresh eyes. Mostof the time I spot newmistakes or possibilitiesfor improvement when I return. This can be a day, but sometimes a week or even a month.
4 Finding the shadow coloursI use a darker version of the sky colour and block out regions of my characters that will be shaded. This layer is linked to the
character layer and set to Overlay mode. To shade the white cloth, I link a new layer on Darker Color mode and use the same blue.
3 Character colour blockingUsing the colours from my initial concept, I block out the object colours of the characters with the generic Photoshop Round
brush. This single layer features both characters on it, and will serve as a base for all the character rendering. I designed white clothing with golden ornaments during the planning phase, so now I know how to block out the shapes pretty accurately.
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adjust thebrush size
[ and ] (pc & Mac)These two keys help you quickly adjust
the brush size.
6 Shaping up the environmentBefore bringing the characters to the next level, I dive into the environment with a smaller brush than before and block
in more details, with the idea being to show what becomes light and what becomes shaded. The characters and environment will always influence each other like this, so I enjoy the act of going backwards and forwards between the two.
5 Levelling the lightI now create a Levels layer and link this to the character
base as well. I experiment with the sliders to find a nice light tone for the highlights. With the Bucket tool, I fill the layer’s mask with black, which removes the Levels effect. With white, I manually paint back the levels effect in the appropriate regions.
7 Bringing the sky to lifeI love adding some nice fluffy clouds to a summer scene. Clouds can do a lot for directing the viewer’s eye, as well as adding
some additional storytelling to an image. Some clouds can look very threatening, while others simply liven up the scene. The clouds here get the same lighting direction as everything else, and some blue shading in the darker areas.
Understand bounce lightI learned about bounce light by doing life studies. I discovered what materials reflect the most, what colours have the most influence on one another and how light scatters.
resources
photoshop
Foliage sketch brUsh
painterly brUsh
textUred Mixing brUsh
I use the simple but effective round brush to paint the lines and most of the smaller details.
A brush to help you quickly block out some foliage.
This brush creates a nice painterly feel in my work.
A very useful brush, suitable for mixing colour tones naturally.
cUstoM brUshes: roUndbrUsh
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8 Skin is complexI start working on expressing the materials such as skin, gold and fabric. Skin can
be very glossy in the greasy areas on the forehead and around the nose, but very matte in the less-greasy parts. Glossy skin reflects a lot of the bright environmental colours, while matte skin maintains most of its object colour: the skin tone.
10 Anatomical correctionsI’m not very happy with the face and anatomy, so I make some alterations. Even
though I try and plan as much as I can at the beginning, corrections often need to be made throughout the painting process. These changes sometimes mean removing the old painting and replacing it with something new, but this always works out for the better.
9 Complement his faceFaces and body language are pretty important in
storytelling images and in this daylight setting I have a lot of power over the lighting composition. I make sure the face of the man is very readable, by adding complementary values behind it, by darkening the foliage behind the bright side of the face, and by lighting it up behind the dark side.
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research is an essential stepFor preparation, I always make or find reference photos and try to find out how things work. Without that and without the experience of having seen the colour, light, shape, material or figurepose before, you giveyourself a hard timemaking your idea appearbelievable. For a conceptartist, research, referencegathering and ideaiteration is as much apart of the learning curveas putting your painting skills into practice.
14 And then there was lifeI add the final touches to the characters by softening the
bright edges and adding more golden decorations. The golden material follows the same process as I’ve done with the glossy skin regions. Every story piece for my Caldyra book has life in it. The birds mirror the situation of the characters.
13 Detailing the environmentNow that the characters are at this level, I bring the
environment up to speed and go in with a smaller brush to paint out all the textures. Grass, for instance, turns bright yellowish green when basking in sunlight, but in the shade it will bounce a more blueish green colour.
11 Translucency and scatteringBecause the cloth of the man is lit up from behind,
the light will travel through it and produce this glowing look. The same goes for his light hair – check out those arm hairs! The lady has a translucent silky fabric, so everything I paint underneath will be slightly visible. Wrinkles in the cloth are less translucent and so they appear brighter here.
12 Blonde versus black hairBlonde hair is light, so it will be affected by the bounce
colours of the environment and sky much more than the dark tones of black hair. Blonde hair is also more translucent, reflecting much more light. Healthy, shiny, dark hair will only reflect the lightest of environmental bounce colour.
colour adjustment
ctrl+U (pc)cmd+U (Mac)
Opens the Hue/Saturation panel for a
selected layer.
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take a laid-back approach to art
Photoshop
iana, before I knew she was the Roman goddess of the hunt, started as a simple practice portrait piece. I had
no major plans for the artwork and no clear vision of the end result. Indeed, apart from the fun I knew I’d have painting, I had no reason to create it.
A regular face study provided some ground rules – an anchor in real life for what I knew would eventually become a fantasy piece. What I really like about digital painting is that the canvas isn’t
dstrictly defined and an artist can take a painting in whatever direction feels right, wasting nothing but time. Although it’s all good practice in the end.
I can’t stress enough that to do this relaxing jazz thing on the canvas, one has to be familiar with the rules of composition, lightning and colours, and always keep them in mind. After all, a musician follows a harmonic progression and knows the limits of their instrument, even when improvising. Otherwise they’ll produce an unpleasant cacophony.
peter polachlocation: Slovakia
Peter, aka Apterus, is aconcept artist and illustratorwho says that
he has “a reasonableobsession with ugly deadthings and fancy fabrics.” http://ifxm.ag/Sabapt
how i approach…
painting without a plan
1 Sketch out the figure I start with a simple line sketch. It’s supposed to
be a portrait, so I don’t bother with trivialities such as the rest of the scene. I fill it with colours; I often prefer to start using colours early. I can check my values using a quick temporary filter.
2 Overpainting and researchI decide that the portrait is boring and the rest
of the scene isn’t working. I have a beer and do some aggressive overpainting – as if it’s done by someone I despise – then go to sleep. I start the new day by researching materials and themes.
3 Add paint on a single layer I render everything using a simple square brush
on a single layer. I don’t like using fancy tricks and specialised brushes. I like to do it the old-fashioned way, applying paint where it’s needed. I often use the Liquify filter or cut and paste to move things around.
peter polach shares the way he illustrates a figure without much of a plan – or as he calls it, doing his “relaxing jazz thing on the canvas…”
As my brush strokes started to accumulate on the canvas, I carried out some quick research and added some specific items that support the emerging mythological theme more accurately.
So, as predicted, I had my fun with the picture. I later uploaded it to my online portfolio to help satisfy my craving for public attention. The image then got picked up for a card game, which just goes to show that posting personal work online is well worth doing – you never know who will come a-knocking…
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Artist insight Laid-back approach
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Flesh tonesI fight a long and frustrating battle with the flesh tones, which are unpleasant swamp colours at the beginning and fake tan orange for a brief, shameful period. I gradually settle for a light bluish tone over the previous less-successful attempts, which I enable to bleed through. This gives the skin a pearlescent quality that I’m happy with.
painting a deity
CurvesI often overdo the contrast, so I use the Curves tool to counteract this. It gives me control over the values, and preserves the variety of hues and when used in a separate layer it can be masked and used as a quick fix specifically for the part that bothers me.
Vox populiWhen I’m in doubt, I sometimes create a little poll and post it on social media. People love to express their opinions on my WIPs in a form of a number or letter. Occasionally, I even get good advice about something that I missed entirely. If nothing else, a couple of hours’ break helps to clear my mind.
CompositionDuring the painting process I develop a central composition with a later emphasis on an inverted triangle. This symbolism is associated with femininity and motherhood. It’s created by light, with Diana’s face situated in its geometrical centre helping to create a stillness; together with the prearranged quality of a classical portrait painting.
resources
photoShop
I prefer using Photoshop’sbasic default brusheswith a little distortion to make them less sterile.
cuStom bruSh: 0d-tX
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16 explosive composition tipsJon Foster presents a range of techniques that, when applied to your creative process, are sure to give your artwork added visual impact
aking exciting and new compositions can be daunting, even frustrating. That frustration can be
fuelled by a need to nail down the idea of good composition in an objective manner. A plus B equals C, so to speak.
There are tools and rules for composition that are solid and work a bit like that A plus B equals C objective: the Rule of Thirds, the Golden Mean, Dominant Eye theory, the Pyramid Foundation and more. All have value, and all fit nicely into that understandable formula, but they tend to produce the same kind of results over and over again.
But there’s more to it. I saw it in the compositions of artists who I admired. I learned that the creative processes was better served by not knowing exactly what to do in an A plus B equals C fashion, but by being willing to make mistakes to find the things that do work. It’s a bit like cooking: you set out to make a good dish, follow the direction, keep to the measurements and ingredients prescribed, and ka-pow, a great dish!
Yet if you make that dish repeatedly it becomes common, even boring. You could create another dish by applying the same cooking tips ‘n’ tricks, but eventually you’ll become complacent.
The challenge isn’t there, and there are no surprises. You know that following those directions makes a good dish, but you want to make your own dish, to make something new.
To do this you could change the recipe, add new spices, take out spices, change the proportions of ingredients, change the ingredients completely. You’ll come up with something new, something that could surprise you! Of course, that surprise could be a bad one, but we have to take these risks to learn new things. But as with food, nothing should gets wasted – we learn from all our experiments in creating.
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Artist insight
1 values are keyValue is the foundation of composition. It helps delineate shapes, shows atmospheric perspective, creates patterns and rhythms for the viewer to discover, as well as move their eyes around the composition. Not all values between objects need to be delineated; often close values can lead to lost edges that help open up a section of the composition, as well as enable the viewer to subconsciously fill in the missing information. Values within each object, negative space and backgrounds aren’t always flat, but should have transitions or gradients to add interest, as well as create interest against the space next to it.
2 shape scienceShapes and silhouettes goes hand in hand with value, but can also be easily described with line. Interesting shapes can be subjective, but often they help describe the object. Shapes don’t need to be complete or overly descriptive, but there should be hints in their silhouettes that lead us to assumptions of what they are. Finally, variation in forms will go a long way to creating visual interest.
Values help to move the viewer’s eyes around the composition
Jon Fosterlocation: US
Jon has been working as an illustrator for over 20years, and his work has appeared on and in countless books.www.jonfoster.com
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3 SCALE informAtionObjects and shapes that overlap imply depth as well as scale. A man standing in front of another man who’s twice as tall will let us know that the man behind must be a giant. Add value changes for atmospheric perspective and you get a very simple and dramatic read on scale changes between the two. But changes in scale just for the sake of contrast is visually stimulating as well.
5 take the GroupinG or massinG approachThe grouping or massing of objects, colours and values in a composition create new shapes. The world we live in is full of massing and grouping: cars on a road, people in a small group talking, dogs playing in a park, trees on a hill, for example. Grouping goes hand in hand with value, shape, scale, balance… all of it. Placing multiple objects together can create an object that’s significantly larger than a sum of its parts.
4 ContrASt vAriEtiESContrast is a key part of the value setup, but there are other kinds of contrast: soft and hard edges, colour contrasts, and quiet areas that differentiate busy areas. Clever use of contrast in your paintings can move the viewer’s eye around your composition, let them know what the important areas are, and keep them from leaving too quickly.
Artist insight Composition skills
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8 pattern and rhythmThis is created when we put together values, shapes and groups in certain ways. We’re rewarded throughout our daily lives when we recognise certain shapes and patterns. You don’t have to make your patterns flat and repetitive – in fact for the most part we want to avoid repetitive flatness. Think of your use of pattern like a music piece: an ebb and flow of notes and chords.
6 reasons For applyinG overlapOverlap is common in our daily lives. After all, something is always in front of something else. Overlapping objects will, by the very nature of covering something up, obscure part of the object behind. This is a good thing: we humans love to fill in the gaps with our imaginations. The viewer will subconsciously flesh out the rest of the information. Overlap also helps with grouping in a composition. A painting of trees that are evenly spaced and sized to each other on the canvas will be boring, whereas a painting that has some trees larger, some smaller, some overlapping each other, some bunched up and some spread out will be much more visually appealing.
7 Body LAnguAgEOur recognition of body language is related to how we’re hard wired to identify patterns and shapes. Paying close attention to the subtle signs of communication in body language will go a long way in helping you convey emotion and intent in your characters. But there are times for the exaggerated body language as well. Look at dance and stage acting for some pumped-up versions of communicating through body language.
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11 choosinG the moment oF actionNaturally, this can be implied by depicting an actual action – running, punching, jumping, say – but it can also be abstractly implied with certain graphic symbols, such as motion lines or blurs. Action can also be implied by its aftermath: the man standing above another who’s dazed and holding his bloody jaw, for example. I find that the most interesting action is either before the moment of climax (potential) or after (what just happened?). Imagine the winding up of a punch or the guy flying away from the punch. This means that the viewer can fill in the action, and they create how dynamic it is in their heads.
9 achievinG Balance, or the FeelinG oF BalanceOften a symmetrical composition can feel static, too balanced. Yet there are times when this is intentional, such as with certain portraits, or objects that need a dominance and weight. But more often asymmetry is more interesting. The problem is that while being asymmetrical the composition itself must have an implied balance. This doesn’t have to happen with equal-sized objects, like on a see-saw. To carry that analogy further, if a large person were on one side of the see-saw, then to balance things out in an interesting way we could put several small objects or people on the other side, or move the big person closer to the fulcrum. Grouping and value will play a big part with balance and creating interest.
Action can be abstractly implied with certain graphic symbols, such as motion lines or blurs
10 dirECtionS of forCEThis is how the viewer’s eye moves around the composition. All of the compositional elements mentioned in this article play a part in making up implied force directions. These can be broken down into straight and curved. Of course, a composition isn’t made up of just one or the other, but often one may dominate in the composition. Straight lines can be very direct, explosive and dynamic. Curved can be lyrical, layered and calm. Use them both as well as all the variations that can be achieved by combining them.
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14 PErSPECtivEThe use of architectural perspective and vanishing point perspectives help to lead the viewer’s eye to area of focus in your image. Atmospheric perspective helps with mood, as well as implying atmosphere and distance, because it’s able to separate the fore-, mid- and background.
12 varyinG the point oF viewWe walk around seeing everything at eye level, so if we use eye level as a point of view in our compositions we’d better make sure other parts of the composition are interesting, or that we intended for the scene to feel common place. To help make things more dynamic we can simply move the viewing camera down so that we’re looking up – this makes us feel part of the scene as well as convey an unsettled feeling because we’re lower than most of the characters and action. Conversely, looking down on a scene makes us feel detached and disconnected from the drama playing out below.
If we’re looking down on a scene, it makes us feel detached and disconnected from the drama that’s playing out below
13 FiGure and GroundThis is simply the object against some kind of background. A person standing on a road, or a flower in a vase on a table. The main part of this concept is that an object or shape is living in some kind of environment. How we set that object off from, or blend it into this environment, is the important part.
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1 Work up an idea With a prepared thumbnail or a
general idea in mind, I start to block in values, placements and shapes. I use both line and areas of value at this stage.
2 visual interestThis stage is basically a
continuation of the first one, but here I’m working to refine the shapes and thinking about the placement of the values to create interest. This can go on for quite a while!
3 introduce colourWhen I feel like I’m getting
somewhere with the composition I slowly begin to add colour, keeping in mind that some shapes, placements and values will need to be changed.
15 BlockinG in value and shapeHere’s a quick example of how I often starts a painting
16 think BiG, even when workinG smallImplying that elements from outside the picture frame exist (usually by casting a shadow) can inform the viewer that the scene or world you’re illustrating is grander than the small part you’re showing them. Elements outside the picture frame, via a cast shadow, can divide, obscure or even define objects and environments in the picture frame.
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2 Setting a Color ProfileThe default Color Profile I use for my work is sRGB
IEC61966-2.1. I have my screens calibrated using third-party hardware, but I always save my work in this default profile. This means my files can be opened in different programs without noticeable changes in the original colour values. This is important, especially if you send your files to your clients or export them for the web across various devices.
1 Adjusting the settingsOne of the most important things you should do before
painting is adjusting some of Painter’s settings: click Edit>Preferences>General. On the General tab I check Create Backup on Save. This will create an additional backup file in case you experience a crash or decide to revert to an older version of your work. On the Interface tab you can configure the Cursor Type; I set it to Enhanced brush ghost. I establish a darker interface via the Color Theme option, and adjust Default View Mode to Single Document View, which removes the additional scroll bar at the bottom. On the Performance tab, I set the number of processor cores used by Painter. I’d advise leaving the Undo levels at their default setting, though.
Flip the canvasIt’s an old and well- known technique, but often forgotten. If you are in any doubt aboutthe proportions and composition, especially in the sketching phase,then try flipping theimage: click Edit>FlipHorizontal/Vertical. Youwill have a fresh view ofyour painting and any problems will be revealed.
Portrait art in corel PainterUsing Painter 2017, the latest version of Corel’s natural media art software, Borislav Mitkov sails the High Seas as he explains his portraiture process
his workshop will introduce you to the basics of Corel Painter, and I’ll be using the most recent incarnation,
which is Painter 2017. I’ll also guide you through my painting process.
I’ll start things off by setting up the canvas, setting its size and orientation. Then I’ll tackle the colour management of the document and select the correct colour profiles. It’s also important to configure your workspace, by customising the layout and making it suitable to your way of working. This
could involve placing tool palettes in certain positions or removing them altogether, for example.
During the painting stages I’ll take you through the various tools and brushes that I use, and explain how they interact with the canvas texture, and how colours blend with paper textures. I’ll explain my approach to sketching in more detail, in which I use either the digital pencil or custom brushes, and break down my glazing technique and how to use this traditional art approach to colouring on the digital canvas.
The workshop is intended for all skill levels. The brushes I use are default brushes that I’ve tweaked slightly, and I also makes use of custom brushes from other artists as well: Dan Milligan, Craig Mullins and Jaime Jones. These are Photoshop brushes that I’ve brought into Painter using the new import feature, which was introduced this year.
I hope I’ll keep your attention throughout the whole article. I’m not much of a writer myself, but I’ll do my best to keep the things clear and fresh as possible. So, let’s get going!
Borislav Mitkovlocation: Bulgaria
Borislav is a freelance concept artist and illustrator. Previously
he spent the past 10 years as a concept artist at Ubisoft Sofia, where he worked on the Rayman Raving Rabbids, Tom Clancy, Prince of Persia and Assassin’s Creed series. www.bmitkov.com
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get your resources
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4 Setting up the canvasFor this workshop I’ve decided to do a portrait, so I’m
going to use A3 size and 300ppi resolution. If you prefer to work on a smaller-sized canvas, you can always go A4 or A5, and lower the resolution to 72ppi. The smaller file size will suit posting online. In the File menu you can also select the colour of the canvas and the paper texture. I’ll start in greyscale, which I’ll turn into colour later using a glazing-like technique, so I choose a simple white canvas, without any gradients or shade of colours. I find it’s easier to build light and shadows using greys.
5 Produce rough sketches or thumbnailsI’ve found that the easiest way to throw my raw ideas down on to paper is by creating quick sketches or thumbnails. Whether
you do concept work, illustrations or storyboarding, the approach is the same. I always start with simple sketches, and prefer working with line – just creating hints of what I have in mind. I don’t go into details because they belong in the painting process, which follows. Imagine them as small copies of what you’ll have in your final painting. The Painter brush I use is called Real 6B Soft Pencil Grainy – it interacts with the paper texture, which gives the lines a more natural look. I also activate the Tilt function so that’s it easier for me to switch between thin and wide lines, just like a traditional pencil would do.
3 Customising a Workspace in PainterPainter enables you to save your interface layout, settings, brushes and paper textures library as a Workspace. It can be accessed
from Window>Workspace, where you can Create New, Delete, Import or Export your Workspace and share it between devices or with other artists. You can also save your layouts and switch when necessary. Windows and tool bars can be moved and repositioned; I prefer to remove the bars and menus I don’t use often, but which you can open using shortcuts. My core tools are the Color wheel, Color Set Libraries, Layers and Channels and Reference Image window, with my brushes and settings on top, leaving a large area to work on.
navigatorcmd+7 (Mac)ctrl+7 (Pc)
You can use the Navigatorto better orient yourselfin the document window.
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7 Why start in greyscale?I’m not all that confident when combining colours in a
specific palette. On the other hand I love greyscale, black and white: it’s enough to create a good range of contrast and express my ideas. I believe that a good greyscale painting gives you the flexibility to make changes – and if you work in the game or film industry then changes are inevitable! So this approach enables me to experiment with colours as much an I want once the final design is fixed. Put another way, once I’m happy with contrast between elements, I’ll start playing with colours.
6 Taking the sketch and going bigOnce I settle on a character that I want to push further I take the thumbnail and place it in the Reference window. This is a great
tool, which can be used either for references or picking colours. The purpose of this step is to paint the portrait as close as possible to the original idea and composition, although changes are possible further down the road, of course. Working fast and rough at this point enables me to maintain the freshness and dynamism of the painting. I’m using a big brush and a grainy paper texture for blocking the first shapes of what is going to be a portrait of a pirate with a very fine beard.
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Painter
My oil Pastel
My chunky Pastel
As mentioned in stepfive, this is a pencil brush.It’s great for sketching oradding details, and is my favourite all-rounder.
One of the finest pastel brushes in Corel Painter with its triangular form. I use it for basic sketching, blocking shapes and hard edges. Frankly, itcan be used at any stage of the painting process.
Another customised default brush. This onehas a softer brush with a bristle texture – excellent for blending colors and softening edges. I use it mainly in the later stage and for detailing.
custoM Brushes: real 6B soFt Pencil Grainy
resources
8 Paper texture and brushesIn Corel Painter, the texture of brush strokes comes from the brush interacting with the texture of the canvas. I can easily
switch between the default and any custom-made textures, using the Paper libraries or Paper Menu (press Ctrl+9). The brushes that I use in this workshop are based on the Pastel brushes category. They’re customised to suit my painting style, but also have two important features: they reveal the texture based on the pen pressure; and they blend colours perfectly.
rotate Pagee (Pc & Mac)
This shortcut enables youto rotate the page, to accommodate your drawing style.
10 Keep on rendering……but don’t overwork the painting at this stage. This is still the
sketching phase, so I continue working loose and experimenting with some elements. I use the Undo function a lot, looking for that perfect stroke. I add a bit more details to parts of the portrait that are focal points – the face and beard – and leave the rest up to the imagination of the viewer (his hat and coat). I always imagine a vertical line going through the focal point and place all the detailing there, while I leave the edges rough and unfinished. Remember, the painting is finished when you decide it’s finished. During this greyscale stage I try to balance all the elements, so the colouring later on will be easier.
9 Building up the figureI block the basic shapes of the face and outfit with very wide strokes, adding spots
here and there, and defining the pirate’s facial features. I also set the mood and lighting, letting the texture and brush strokes help with those little happy accidents. At this point I’m trying to stay in the middle of the grey spectrum; I never use 100 per cent white or black. It does look a bit flat, but this is just the first step: it’s the foundation on which I’m building on. I create new layers whenever I’m happy with the result – this enables me to make changes if subsequent work doesn’t quite go to plan.
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iterative saveWhile painting, save your file using File>Save As and save the file in .RIFF format. After that, use File>Iterative Save and it’ll add a number at the end of the file, so you’ll have a series of numbered files that you can easily refer back to.
14 Final touches and resizingI keep on rendering until I’m happy, turning layers on and off to check that I’m on the
right path and not overworking the image. I reserve the final top layer for blending some parts of the painting and detailing others. Once I think that I’m done, I usually resize the image – in this case it’s 18 per cent of its original size – then sharpen it so that the details and textures will pop out, and do some colour and contrast corrections. The tools can be found by selecting Effects> Tonal Control>Brightness/Contrast (press Ctrl+Shift+B) or Effects>Focus >Sharpen. One final tip: always keep the original file in case you decide to print it.
13 Almost thereOnce I have the basic colours down and I’m happy with
the result, I create a default layer on top and start painting. I use the same Oil Pastel brush for some hard edges and My Chunky Pastel brush for smoothing and blending. I’m trying to keep some of the original strokes that I like while refining the image, adding contrast and details. I try not to pick the colours from the painting, but rather from the colour wheel, otherwise things gets muddy. I also experiment with different paper textures at this point and different brushes: a smoother texture for some parts of the face, bristle brushes for the hair, and so on.
11 Colouring or glazing?Let me explain a bit about the digital glazing technique.
The whole work is done in greyscale with attention to values. Afterwards I use layers and different blending modes – Multiply, Overlay, Color, Soft Light and so on to add colour on top. In other words, I’m colouring the image. First, I flatten all the layers. Then, using the Correct colors tool (select Effects>Tonal Control>Correct colors) I choose the red channel and adjust the curve until I achieve some reddish/brown values.
12 Experiment with coloursI create a Multiply layer and lay down some colours. And
here’s why I get rid of the greys: when starting to add colours, your pastel brush will pick up and blend some of the colours from the underpainting. And you don’t want to mix grey and get muddy colours. I use a very desaturated subtle green colour as the base, which mixes with the red, creating some interesting effects. Some parts of the face like the nose, cheeks and ears need additional colour to make the face pop out of the canvas.
In depth Portrait art
January 2017 85
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The latest art resources are put to the test by the ImagineFX team…
Ratings explained
Books88 The Art of Aardman Concept work from some of the studio’s famous projects, such as Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph.
89 The Art of Deus Ex UniverseAn arresting collection of art from Eidos artists who visualised the near-future.
89 Paris Je T’aime: The Sketching Lover’s CompanionA diary of a month in Paris from the urban sketcher, as he returns to his home city.
90 Worlds: The Art of Raphael LacosteA compelling collection of game and film environment art from Raphael Lacoste.
91 Fathoms: The Art of Michael ManomivibulInk artist Michael Manomivibul invites you into his imagination – from aquatic adventures to knightly heroes.
91 Human Figure Drawing: Drawing Gestures, Postures and MovementsA guide less about strict adherence to rules and more about learning from mistakes.
softwaRe93 Moho Pro 12Smith Micro has revamped the tools (and the name) of its previous hit animation software, Anime Studio. But how successful is the makeover?
tRaining95 Creating a Gun in ModoUsing one of the best CGI programs around, 3D artist Tor Frick presents an efficient method for prop modelling.
January 2017 87
Artist’s Choice AwardArt resources with a five-star rating receives the ImagineFX Artist’s Choice award!
8 producTs on TesT
Author Aardman Animations Publisher Simon & Schuster Price £17 Web www.simonandschuster.co.uk Available Now
of the book’s text, but they give a good-enough impression of how writers and artists develop stories and characters, as well as how the studio overcomes challenges and adapts to technological advances.
The book is split into six chapters covering an animator’s main tasks: shaping an idea, designing characters, creating worlds, preparing props, making machines, and lighting a scene. Through doodles on scraps of paper and photos of completed models, chapters chart the development of relatively small projects all the way through to feature films.
However, a lot of the images look as if they’re near the end of the creative process. Concept sketches of the villainous penguin from The Wrong Trousers, or the escapee chickens from Chicken Run, appear very similar to what we see on screen. Without explanatory notes, it’s unclear how many iterations were worked through before these designs were settled on.
Sometimes you see character development, such as pencil sketches revealing the evolution of Lady Campanula Tottington’s hairstyle and the shape of the Were-Rabbit. Yet the
AnimAtion Archive The maker of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph reveals the concept work behind some of its most famous projects
amous around the world for its stop-motion animations, Aardman Studios has entertained
generations of viewers with its distinctive and whimsical films. The Art of Aardman gives readers a glimpse into how the company develop its iconic characters and sets, by sharing a wealth of concept art, sculptures and sketches.
This is the studio’s first combined collection of artwork, and it opens with separate introductions by Aardman’s co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton, charting their lifelong journeys as animators and filmmakers. These short introductions are the bulk
F
The Art of Aardman
Gromit in the Greenhouse, from The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, 2005.
The Mind Manipulation-O-Matic: a production still from The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
images themselves are left to do all the work, and for readers looking for more in-depth artistic insight this may prove frustrating.
There is interesting minutiae to be found in pencil sketches and ink drawings of characters including Morph, and Wallace & Gromit. Here, comical details such as Wallace watching Coronation Street in his spaceship and Morph’s shape-shifting antics reveal the character and humour that have helped Aardman become the successful studio it is today.
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Reviews
88 January 2017
Inspiration Books
Lapin says he aimed to “celebrate the city that has given me so much”.
Protagonist Adam Jensen’s design “was a two-year endeavour”.
eus Ex is to cyberpunk what World of Warcraft is to fantasy. The first-person stealth shooter game is set
in the 21st century and centred around augmentations that turn normal humans into superheroes. Eidos-Montreal’s art design team has played a key role in visualising this high-end concept, and this majestic hardback pays tribute to its groundbreaking work.
A foreword by game designer Warren Spector and an introduction
apin, a French illustrator and artist based in Barcelona, is a hero of the urban sketching movement and
he’s been busy of late. Paris Je T’aime is one of three sketchbooks he’s produced in 2016, alongside Modernisme: Beyond Gaudí and Barcelona: An Urban Sketchbook.
This one sees him return to his home country, where he spent a month observing, conversing with people and
The Art of Deus Ex Universe
Paris Je T’aime: The Sketching Lover’s Companion
Authors Jonathan Jacques-Belletete and Martin Dubeau Publisher Titan Books Price £30 Web www.titanbooks.com Available Now
Author Lapin Publisher Promopress Price £16 Web www.promopresseditions.com Available Now
DystoPiA cAlling Learn how Eidos’s artists visualised the world of the near-future, in this arresting collection of video game art
street Art The urban sketcher returns to his home city to bring us a celebratory and quirky diary of a month in Paris
from executive art director Jonathan Jacques-Belletête outline “future realism”: art that owes fidelity to the real world but is extrapolated out to the near future.
The book explains how artists fulfilled these principles in creating characters, weapons, tech, locations, and in-game adverts for Deus Ex’s dystopian world, for titles Human Revolution and Mankind Divided.
sketching on the streets of the French capital. If the idea isn’t original, it’s in Lapin’s highly original sketching style that the appeal lies. Using a black ink pen as his main drawing tool, he sketches in old accountant books and adds subdued colours with watercolour pens. It’s an unusual approach and the result is a form of amiable art that borders on twee, yet retains an attractive authenticity.
D
l
Its 300 sketches, concept art and 3D renders give real insight into the making of the popular franchise. There are discussions on the multiple designs of Adam Jensen and near-future Prague – inspired by both Brutalism and Middle Ages architecture. It’s a collection of game art both fans and casual observers will get plenty from.
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Lapin’s quirky artworks are threaded together in this bijou book by handwritten tales of his travels through Paris, from artist’s squats to the Eiffel Tower, Aligne Market to the Moulin Rouge, and beyond.
In all honesty, we’re not sure who the audience is for this, but we are sure of one thing: we like it very much.
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89January 2017
Author Raphael Lacoste Publisher Iamag Price £39 Web www.iamag.co Available Now
The hardback, landscape-format book kicks off with a foreword by Halo art director Sparth, and then an introduction from Ian McQue, lead concept artist on Grand Theft Auto I–V. Then it’s on to the main event: Raphael’s stunning artwork, spread generously across 112 pages.
The four main sections cover the artist’s work on fantasy, science fiction, his concepts for the Assassin’s Creed saga, and book covers, respectively. Each begins with a short discussion by the artist, printed in both English and French. Brent Ashe’s layout benefits from minimal clutter (the captions are restricted, for the most part, to title and year) and intelligent use of white space, giving each piece full room to breath.
And what work this is. With bold use of colour and tone, breathtaking attention to detail and a sweeping sense of wonder, these scenes stimulate the imagination on an epic scale. Our personal favourites include the explosive Mothership Wreck, a terrifying vision of a giant spacecraft hurtling towards a futuristic cityscape; The South Kingdom, depicting a horse-backed warrior surveying a heart-pulsating panorama from Assassin’s Creed; and After Earth: A Perfect Beast, one of the scariest-looking aliens we’ve seen in ages.
PAnorAmA sPeciAl The epic environments of game and film artist Raphael Lacoste get the crowdfunded artbook they deserve
hen it comes to digital environments, Raphael Lacoste is one of the biggest names around.
Once Ubisoft’s award-winning art director on Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia, he later moved into films to work as a matte painter and senior concept artist on the likes of Terminator Salvation and Death Race. Then in 2009, he went back to games, working at EA, and is now back at Ubisoft.
Earlier this year, he launched a crowdfunding campaign for an artbook that would bring his best work together in one place. Worlds: The Art of Raphael Lacoste is the result, and from the cover image alone – an epic, stirring vision of dragon boats, mountain vistas and gigantic, menacing tentacles – you know you’re in for a treat.
W
Raphael Lacoste’s Lost Island – his concept art for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
Raphael painted the cover art to After Earth: A Perfect Beast, a prequel story to the film.
A fifth chapter features a selection of the artist’s sketches, providing a fascinating insight into his process, and then a final section includes three short tutorials, each showing how Raphael created a particular artwork in five steps.
While it’s quite light on pages for the relatively high price, for an admirer of Raphael’s art, this beautiful book is simply essential. There’s also a lot in these pages to offer any artist with an interest in creating digital environments in general, too.
Note that this book is a limited edition run, which is only available on the IAMAG website, although we’re told there may be a reprint if demand is high. And we’re pretty sure it will be.
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Worlds: The Art of Raphael Lacoste
Reviews
90 January 2017
Inspiration Books
Daniela Brambilla teaches drawing at the highly respected Istituto Europeo di Design, in Milan.
Bubbles, 2009. “A piece about release,” says illustrator Michael Manomivibul.
nother crowd-sourced effort, Fathoms is the first art book by illustrator Michael Manomivibul (who
has a workshop on page 102). He’s best known for the artwork on The Princess Bride: An Illustrated Edition and his work summons atmospheric feelings of mystery and adventure.
Michael’s art is distinctive, and that’s partly a matter of technique. He works in Sumi ink, building up with layers of ink wash, playing with texture and value, then finishing with digital colour
here are a number of ways you can learn to draw human figures. Some
books give you strict rules to learn, but this is not one of them. It takes the view that learning to draw anatomy is like starting to talk or to play an instrument.
So rather than spend too much time on theory, Daniela Brambilla instead sets a series of exercises and encourages you to learn by doing – while learning from your mistakes.
Fathoms: The Art of Michael Manomivibul
Human Figure Drawing: Drawing Gestures, Postures and Movements
Author Michael Manomivibul Publisher Michael Manomivibul Price £20 Web www.mikemanoart.com Available Now
Author Daniela Brambilla Publisher Promopress Price £22 Web www.promopresseditions.com Available Now
DeeP Dive From aquatic adventures to knightly heroes, ink artist Michael Manomivibul’s artbook invites you into his imagination
Figuring it out This guide to drawing human anatomy is less about strict adherence to rules and more about learning from your mistakes
or glazes of coloured inks and watercolour. But the power of his work is its imagination. From deep-sea divers and terrifying tentacles to heroic knights and brutal beasts, each scene is suggestive and gives the viewer a welcome opportunity to complete the full story in their minds.
This softback book is beautifully printed on heavyweight paper and almost every piece gets a full page,
This large-format, 260-page hardback covers almost every area of human figure drawing. It begins with the basics: gestures, contours and understanding position, proportions and lines of force. Then it’s on to more advanced topics such as expanding your imagination and capturing “the
A
t
enabling you to examine and enjoy every detail. It’s just shame that at just 82 pages, it’s a fairly slim volume. There’s a small amount of text, printed in a font that makes the book reminiscent of a children’s title. Indeed this collection offers a deep-dive into the imagination, from an artist who deserves to be more widely known.
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movements of the soul”, as Daniela rather evocatively puts it.
With plenty of examples, and exercises that encourage you to get scribbling, it feels like a relaxed evening class held by the best teacher in town.
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91January 2017
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Price £320 (£160 upgrade from Anime Studio 11) Company Smith Micro Web www.smithmicro.com
Moho Pro 12more mojo How successful is Smith Micro in revamping its mature animation software, the previously named Anime Studio?
he initial feeling when launching Moho Pro 12 is one of freshness. Although the updated interface will
be familiar to users of previous versions, it’s much more in keeping with current interface trends and should be less intrusive as you work.
That said, you can adjust the brightness of menus, as well as colours of highlights. Similar adaptability is available for window placement and you can save workspaces, to aid efficiency. Elsewhere, there have been reworkings of two key areas. Both the Layers panel and the Content Library have been overhauled to make things easier to use – much-needed changes.
Although it’s an animation tool, Moho users spend a lot of time creating objects, and the developers have upped their game in this area. Version 12 has a revised vector system, which makes the task of drawing accurate curves easier than ever. New handles allow for fine tuning while keeping things clean, with as few points as possible to achieve best results. Vector import and export is better too, with
full support for various stages of your creative process. If you like to create your assets in Illustrator for example, you no longer need to worry about what will make it through the transfer.
While the bones and onion-skinning tools have always been strong, it’s good to see Smith Micro adding to the features with some innovative ideas. The new Mesh Warp enables you to
T
The new GUI is adaptable, but the defaults feel fresh and up-to-date with other art and design software.
Achieve better lip-sync results, with Moho’s new Mesh Warp tool.
Inverse kinematics gives greater control over bones.
define areas of your art, either bitmap or vector, which can then be deformed and keyframed. Uses for this are endless, but it’s a good way of setting up selective squash and stretch as aids for lip-syncing, adding to facial expressions, or creating swaying foliage. It’s a deceptively simple implementation which, with a little planning, produces some great results.
Animators enjoy new goodies, too. Keyframing can be given separate channels, to make controlling, editing and navigating easier. There’s also a new IK (inverse kinematics) constraint to isolate defined bones, reducing the need for unwanted knock-on changes.
There are many, many more new features and tweaks, from real motion blur to batch exporting, all of which make Moho Pro 12 a worthy upgrade. It feels like a fresh app that sits well with other creative software, and has some excellent new innovations.
If hesitant about taking the plunge, you can trial the software, or purchase the cheaper Moho Debut 12 (£56), to get a good idea of what you can achieve with the program.
The new Mesh Warp enables you to define areas of your art
Art tools Software
93January 2017
Featuresn Revamped GUI
n Improved vector
art controls
n New layers layout
n Better frame-by-
frame workflow
n Real motion blur
n New content library
System requirementsPC: Windows 7 or
newer, 1.3GHz Pentium
4 or newer, Athlon 64
or newer, 2GB RAM,
800MB hard drive
space, OpenGL
enabled GPU,
1,440x900 display,
disc drive
mac: OS X 10.8 or
newer, 1.3GHz CPU,
2GB RAM, 800MB
hard drive space,
1,440x900 display,
disc drive
rating
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essential art resources
Videos, images, brushes and more are available
with your digital editions!
Just search for ‘ImagineFX’ on these selected platforms…
Get a digital subscription to ImagineFX and save money!
January 201794
Modo’s layer-based materials system means details can be added to
generic textures.
Publisher The Gnomon Workshop Price Subscription only (from £39/month) Format Streaming video Web www.thegnomonworkshop.com
Artist profile
Tor Frick
Tor is a 3D artist with over a decade of experience working in the entertainment industry as an art director, a concept artist and an environment artist. Tor was art director on Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, and has contributed to a range of best-selling video games including Far Cry 3, Gears of War 3, Gears of War: Judgement, Doom, Fallout 4 and many more. Tor says
that among his wide range of creative skills, his passion lies with hard-surface modelling and design.
www.torfrick.com
any of the technical snags that can pop up when you model with polygons.
It’s worth pointing out that Tor’s workflow relies on scripts that aren’t part of Modo as standard, but the streaming video web page includes a download that provides these scripts, along with the gun project file for you to study at your leisure.
Later chapters in the video see Tor switch to Modo’s materials system, adding metal and wood textures to a previously grey model. What’s interesting here is that Tor is able to use Modo’s powerful layer-based materials system to improve the gun’s appearance without resorting to painting on UV texture maps, which is a long-standing but fiddly 3D technique.
The modelling techniques in particular are relevant to more 3D apps than Modo, so this video has broader appeal than you might suppose. If you’re mastered the basics of 3D and are looking for ways to get more made in less time, you’ll find them here.
WEAPON OF CHOICE 3D artist Tor Frick presents a lean, mean method to model props in one of the best CGI programs around
odelling guns is bread and butter for Tor Frick’s day job in the games industry, and Modo is his preferred
tool for creating his weapon designs. It’s a superb piece of 3D software, combining powerful features and a cohesive interface with a more affordable price tag than the likes of 3ds Max or Maya.
Tor’s video shows a complete workflow for creating a hard-surface prop. Even if you’re not a games artist, this is the sort of object where it’s useful to be able to make it, so you can view it at different angles and under different types of lighting for reference. Not everyone has the studio space to make maquettes like James Gurney…
Tor’s emphasis in his workshop is on modelling, from the early blocking-out stages to the final details. He goes through several key everyday techniques, such as using Boolean tools to cut out segments of the object. There are also plenty of tips for avoiding
M
Creating a Gun in Modo
Want to create props to this level of quality? Tor Frick’s video for
Gnomon shows exactly how it’s done.
The gun prop is built up from basic shapes as Tor adds extra forms and components.
Inspiration Training
January 2017 95
Topics coveredn Blocking out
n Making cut-outs
n Detailing with
ready-made parts
n Adding shaders
n Building custom
materials
Length232 minutes
Rating
Celebrate Star Wars through the eyesof the world’s finest artists
ON SALE NOW! Buy your copy here: http://bit.ly/2eAoGKX
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WITH NEW ART
Aaron McBride
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going back to black
have fun when…
Michael Manomivibul uses a minimal colour palette to produce maximum results Page 102
98 FXPosé TraditionalThe best traditional art revealed.
108 Labyrinth book artCory Godbey paints a motley crew.
112 Capture light and depthSpeedy plein air with Peter Chan.
114 First impressionsDaren Bader on the great outdoors.
this issue:
97January 2017
InSPIraTIon anD aDvICe from The worlD’S BeST TraDITIonal arTISTS
2
Joseph MurphyLocation: USWeb: www.jmmurphyillustrator.comeMaiL: [email protected]: Gouache, ink, acrylics
“I’m greatly influenced by illustrators Mark English and Bernie Fuchs, whose work made me completely change my portfolio from
very tight realism to a more expressionistic style of contemporary illustration,” says Joseph, a freelance illustrator who works in book publishing and the entertainment markets.
The artist’s work has appeared in shows and exhibitions through the Society of Illustrators of NY/Los Angeles, 3x3 Magazine, Creative Quarterly and ICON. Joseph says that he “appreciates the films of Terrence Malick and the mysticism of water as portrayed in literary fiction.”
1 FairyInk, gouache and digital, 5x5in
“I wanted to experiment and see how far I could push the use of texture in one piece. By varying the types of textures with values, I was able to create a scene within an environment that could almost emerge from the page.”
2 HaLL oF LanguagesOil, 8.5x11in
“I’ve always loved the work of illustrator Mark English and have sought to capture the sense of atmosphere in his work.”
3 tHe MercHantCopper, salt and vinegar, gouache,
oil, tar and digital, 7.75x9.25in“Inspired by the works of JMW Turner, I imagined how he would have depicted a figure in one of his landscapes.”
ImagIneFX crIt“Joseph’s style of painting, which has its roots in
expressionism, benefits from his use of textures, which adds another beguiling dimension to his artworks. I love his nod to Turner’s signature seascapes.” Claire Howlett,Editor
98 January 2017
1
showcasIng the FInest tradItIonal Fantasy artIstsFXPosé
Email your submissions to [email protected]
1tom sarmoLocation: USWeb: http://tomsarmo.comeMaiL: [email protected]: Pen, ink, watercolour, gouache
Tom has worked as an illustrator for over 30 years, and his art has featured in children’s books and products, character design
for film, commissions and gallery art. He loves anthropomorphism, folk tales and has “a life-long admiration for Maurice Sendak’s illustrations.”
Tom often teaches a variety of illustration workshops and his art is in private collections across the US and in Europe. The artist is hard at work on his fourth illustrated book, loves old timepieces, and his most prized possession is a haunted clock.
ImagIneFX crIt“Tom has a good eye for blending an air of
innocence with undercurrents of dark humour. He’s also able to bring plenty of detail into his art, without diminishing its visual impact.” Cliff Hope,Operations Editor
1 tHe WatcHerAcrylic ink and gouache, 5x7in
“This was drawn for a collaborative group show and book project called Strange Conversations. Eight illustrators randomly wrote phrases, picked them from a hat, illustrated them and compiled them into a story.”
2 tHe ProJectionistPen, ink and watercolour, 12x12in
“This piece is my favourite of a triptych done for Screenplay at Helikon Gallery this year. The three works all depicted anthropomorphic movie equipment and the film Frankenstein.”
3 tHe cuPboard gobLinBrush, ink and watercolour, 8x10in
“In 1941, a murderer dubbed The Spiderman broke into a house in Denver and lived in the attic undiscovered for nine months, helping himself to food and things. This Goblin is sort of the same type of fellow, but he’s not a killer.”
4 tHe oLd WitcHBrush, ink and watercolour, 8x10in
“Creepy old ladies from literature fascinate me, as do fanciful borders that extend the story implied within the illustration. This witch was created as a poster design and gallery piece.”
100 January 2017
FXPosé
Email your submissions to [email protected]
2
3 4
101January 2017
FXPosé Traditional art
Email your submissions to [email protected]
Send up to seven pieces of your work, along with their titles, an explanation of your techniques, a photo of yourself and contact details. Images should be sent as 300DPI JPEG files.
email: [email protected] (maximum 1MB per image)
Post: (CD or DVD): FXPosé TraditionalImagineFXQuay HouseThe AmburyBath BA1 1UA, England
All artwork is submitted on the basis of a non-exclusive worldwide licence to publish, both in print and electronically.
submit your art to fxposé
102 January 2016
Workshops
create impact with limited colours
Michael ManoMivibul walks you through his process of producing character art with maximum visual impact, while using a pared-back colour palette
The best art is created within limitations. There is joy to arranging the bare minimum of elements for the maximum impact. Here I’ll aim to create
an impactful piece using a limited palette.While attending art school I dabbled
in almost every medium, but nothing quite clicked until I picked up ink. Inspired by comics artists and cartoonists, I found pleasure in creating mood and atmosphere using just a jar of black ink. Recently, I’ve been trying to incorporate colour back into my work, while retaining what I love about ink. Digital tools have enabled me to experiment and develop my sense of colour, while still working in the traditional medium I love most.
Contrast is core to my work, visually and conceptually. I love images that pop, offering both depth to get lost in and space to breathe. Lighting is fundamental, too. I like to think of it theatrically, adding drama and drawing the eye in. I also consider emotional and conceptual contrasts: hope doesn’t exist without despair, love isn’t as potent without resentment. Here I want to suggest great violence, in the past and future, but in the present moment all is still and beautiful.
I work primarily in ink wash. I find that there’s something incredibly satisfying about ink. One bottle of black can evoke so much tone and atmosphere. It’s permanent and demands to be handled with care.
Michael loves the instant gratification of ink and the drag of brush on paper. He’s worked on books about spooky
beings and grand adventures. Follow his shenanigans and find more of his work at www.mikemanoart.com.
get your resources
See page 6 now!
I work with two brushes at once. One loaded with ink or pigment, the other with clean water. This way I can lay down a mark with the ink, then blend it out with the clean brush. I can also work in reverse and lay down a clean water wash, then drop pigment in for softer edges and flowing textures. Ink is about moisture control: the more water, the harder it is to control. Yet relinquishing control is the key to beautiful washes and having fun.
artiSt inSight
Beat frustration
It’s okay. Get up,
stretch, go for a walk,
get a coffee. No one
makes good decisions
while frustrated, so take
a moment away from
the piece, then come
back with fresh eyes
and you’ll likely see a
clear way forward.
103January 2017
GouachePencil Ink Photoshop
Workshops
3 Drawing the final formI take the drawing to its final form. I sometimes blow
up the thumbnail, print it very lightly and sketch over it. Or I might start from scratch, depending how much I liked the thumbnail sketch. Here I start over and draw it larger so I have greater cropping flexibility later, while still adhering to the client’s requested format.
4 Value studies and lighting designOnce I have my final drawing, I scan and print out multiple copies of it, to try
out different lighting schemes and compositions. When I find one I like I render it in pencil as a roadmap for the painting. Ink is unforgiving, so it pays to know where you’re putting down your dark shapes before you start.
1 Ideation and thumbnailsI work from my sketchbook or scratch paper, knocking out thumbnail sketches
as quickly as possible, just to get something down on paper. This is often the most difficult stage for me as I figure out what the point of the piece is. I often write down keywords to help anchor the sketching with concept, narrative or mood.
2 Concept lockdownOnce I settle on a thumbnail, I’ll make a more
detailed and clearer version to test out basic light and dark shapes, and to make sure the concept has enough depth to be taken to finish or presented to the client. Clarity is key.
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5 Transfer and final drawingI transfer the final drawing on to watercolour paper
using a lightbox. I make a conscious effort to turn the light on and off as I draw, checking the drawing as I go. This is because mindless tracing can lead to a drawing that lacks that extra bit of life or magic.
6 Laying down inkFinally: painting! Working in ink wash, I take Sumi ink
and dilute it into different concentrations with water. I start with the darkest area of the painting. This anchors the piece as I refer back to this area as I build up the painting, always knowing that I can’t go darker than this starting point.
7 Blocking in the pieceAs I paint I jump around the canvas a lot, building up one area before moving to another, making sure I don’t spend
too much time on certain elements. It’s important that the whole piece gets an initial pass because it’s very easy to fall in love with working on one area, inevitably overworking it.
MaterialS
PaPer
n Sketchbook
Plain printer paper
n Fabriano 140lb hot
press watercolour
paper
Brushes
n Isabey Sable
watercolour brushes,
round #6 and #7
n Various synthetic
round brushes
ink and Paint
n Sumi ink
n White gouache
Pencils
n Orange Col Erase
n HB pencil
n Mechanical pencil
other
n Two water containers,
for cleaning brushes
and for wetting washes
and mixing
n Kneaded eraser
n Photoshop
105January 2017
BrushTip
Invest In the bestGood brushes keep their point no matter the size.
They also hold more paint and water, for
better washes.
artiSt inSight
ask for helP
Never be afraid to get
a fresh set of eyes on
your work. Ask for
critiques from folks you
trust. It’ll help you to
get outside your head.
In depth Limited colour
10 Diving into colourThe majority of the piece is now painted. I’ve left the central area bare so far,
because it scares me. The whole piece pivots around getting a convincing glow from this area. I decide to break out the watercolours and try a new effect, because recently I’ve been attempting to incorporate colour traditionally back into my work.
11 Regrets, I have a few (well, one)I hate what I’ve just painted in watercolour. I placed
too much trust in my understanding of the medium to get the effect I wanted, when I should have worked on it more in the sketch and done colour studies. To fix it, I slather black ink over the mistake. Black hides all sins and can be a reset.
8 Layering and renderingI really enjoy watching a piece emerge from the white paper. In my mind I’m
using the brushes to push away the white, revealing the dimensional piece in relief underneath. I tuck ink into the nooks and crannies of the drawing, adding depth as I go while bouncing back and forth between different areas.
9 Painting textureIn the final tonal study I also think about what
textures I’m trying to achieve, which is battered steel in this case. There’s only so far you can take it in the pencil sketch – when painting, the ink will begin to do the work of creating surface texture. Brush strokes find their marks naturally when you trust the medium.
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13 Scanning and cleaningI scan the piece at 600dpi for archival purposes. This will also enable me to print the image larger if there’s ever
a need to. Next I adjust Contrast and Levels, to bring the scan more in line with how I feel the piece looks in life, because something is always lost during scanning.
12 On to Plan BI lean back on to white gouache, a medium that I’m
much more comfortable with, and paint the lights back in. I’ll have to add colour to the piece later in Photoshop. I noodle around and paint details. This is the endless polish stage and I could live here forever, but deadlines are calling, so it’s time to scan and finish digitally.
14 Colour and layersI tune some of the value structure using the Dodge
and Burn tool, then add layers for each colour element in the piece. Because there’s a fully rendered ink wash painting already, all I need to do at this stage is colourise using Photoshop’s Blending modes. Soft light and Overlay are my go-to modes.
15 Finishing the pieceI experiment with different colour combinations using the Hue and Color
Balance sliders. Once I decide on the final colours, I hone in the initially loose digital brush marks and add hot edges to the lights, to better sell the illusion of the light source. I finish the piece by cropping the larger painting to the final trim size.
107January 2017
ColourTip
From colour to shadows
Colour can intensify just before it turns to shadow.
Make the edges of shadows ‘hot’, to
add pop.
artiSt inSight
sketch quickly and fearlessly
Often I’ll follow my gut
and land on a sketch
early. However, don’t
settle just yet. Go crazy
on your next ideas. You
already have something
you like, but you never
know what else you
might shake loose.
In depth Limited colour
picture book art from Labyrinth
Cory Godbey uses traditional media coupled with Photoshop’s composition tools to create three key characters from the much-loved children’s fantasy film
1 Speedy approvalDue to the need for a speedy publishing
turnaround, this cover had to come together
quickly. Fortunately, my initial suggestion to the
publisher (which was to feature a handful of the
characters gathered around the Wiseman while
he read a story) was accepted. I quickly scribble
out the idea and send it in to Henson for approval.
2 Separate characterSI usually draw and paint traditionally;
however, the one unusual way I build the cover is
to draw each figure separately. Working this way
offers me flexibility and enables me to make edits
quickly. For example, the cover originally featured
a bouncing head of a Firey, which was cut to
accommodate the title and text.
3 perfecting the compoSitionNext, I bring the elements into Photoshop
and assemble the final cover. All of the character
drawings are done traditionally, however the
colour is painted digitally. I handle all background
elements sky, trees and plants in watercolour. By
placing the trees on layers beneath the characters
and moving them around, I find my composition.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Jim Henson’s classic film, Labyrinth. As a part of the anniversary celebration my picture book,
Labyrinth Tales, tells three original stories, each focusing on a different character from the ground-breaking, strange and dazzling world that Jim Henson, Brian Froud and many others worked hard to create.
When it comes to writing and illustrating for something as beloved as Labyrinth, my main goal is to approach it honestly and respectfully. It’s an honour that I’ve not taken lightly. I feel that, in a manner of speaking, I’ve been allowed
into Brian’s garden to gather up sticks. Put another way, he built the sandbox and we get to play in it.
Well, perhaps one of these days Brian will come swinging out of his front door with a broom and chase me out of his garden (because, really, who wants some kid playing in your yard!) but until then I’ve enjoyed the artistic pleasure of intensely studying his work. It’s richly complex, astonishingly beautiful and truly magic.
To bring these new stories to life, I work hard to be certain that I’ve gathered appropriate reference for the characters and the world. There’s a delicate balance you must walk while
Step-by-step: assemble a group of lovable characters
trying to create something honest and new, yet at the same time respecting the original work. It’s been gratifying to see the response from fans who have enjoyed my take on these classic characters!
I feel incredibly grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to draw and write for such widely adored characters, and in some small measure add to the legacy of Jim Henson.
Cory creates fanciful illustrations for books and films. His award-winning work has been featured in the likes of
Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art and the Society of Illustrators. You can see his work at www.corygodbey.com.
108 January 2017
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WatercolourPencil Photoshop
109January 2017
Artist insight Picture book art
Watercolours Simple steps to help tame this tricky medium
Acrylics Tips and tricks to get the best from these vibrant tools
Charcoal Find out how to improve your sketches
get started!
how to draw & Paint in Pencils, oils, acrylics & more!how to draw & Paint in Pencils, oils, acrylics & more!
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from taking your first steps in sketching and composition, to painting stunning images in the medium of your choice, our easy-to-follow guides will help you get better at creating art!
LEARN NEW TECHNIQUES
Spot the wormthe worm that Sarah meets early on in the film is one of the most recognisable, iconic characters from Labyrinth. I knew he needed to have a place on the cover, however small. Situating the blue worm next to the orange Ludo and the wiseman creates a satisfying interplay of colour.
ArISe, SIr DIDymuSthe faithful, chivalrous Sir Didymus sports one of the film’s most complex and colourful costumes (outside of a certain Goblin King’s…). Indeed, of any Labyrinth character I’ve illustrated over the years, Sir Didymus has required the most study to get right.
the vALue of vALueSthe difference between a muddy image or an illustration that can be read immediately is, simply, values. when working digitally, I keep an adjustment layer at the top to constantly check my values. If something’s not feeling right then a quick check of the values will usually point out the problem.
GuIDInG the vIewerA strong composition will lead the viewer around the image and engage their imagination. my go-to compositional structure is a triangle. Like many artists before me, I’ve found the shape lends strength as well as natural, familiar lines to help guide the eyes.
peSt controLIt’s all in a day’s work, spraying for faeries. hoggle’s introduction in the film is particularly memorable and I want to allude to that moment (and his general grumpy demeanour) by including some faeries and his sprayer.
points of interest: Developing the group dynamics
Materials
pencilS
n Prismacolor Col-
Erase brown pencils
n Kimberly 2B pencils
n General’s Layout
pencil
paintS
n Winsor & Newton
watercolours
BruSheS
n Daniel Smith
watercolour brushes
Software
n Photoshop
111January 2017
Artist insight Picture book art
get your resources
See page 6 now!
Capturing light and depth
In the final part in his series on plein air painting, Peter Chan demonstrates a speedy technique for painting background to foreground to capture light and depth
MaterIalS
n Strathmore
watercolour paper
n Flat and round brush
n Winsor & Newton
permanent white and
holbein gray no.1
Previously, I went through the important aspects of working the painting as a whole, constantly comparing value, colour and shapes with nearby
elements. The process ensures that you don’t get bogged down in a specific area, but it can take more of your time and muddy your brush or paints if you’re not careful, especially when painting outdoors and time isn’t on your side.
This time I’ll go through another approach to plein air painting: the back-to-front method. The idea is to break
down your scene from the lightest colour values in the furthest background, and gradually apply darker paint to the foreground elements. This process applies to larger objects as well as small details.
There are two key things to keep in mind. First, put down quick and decisive marks and don’t fiddle too much with them, especially with the lighter backgrounds. Second, elements in the distance are nearer in value and are less detailed, and gradually gain value contrast and more details the closer they are to the viewer. If you follow these guides, you’ll
achieve a greater sense of light and depth quickly. This approach works well with early morning and later afternoon scene as well as on overcast days.
For this article, I parked on a street and spent about an hour painting a early morning city scene on my daily commute.
1 Don’t overwork the backgroundFirst sketch out or mentally break down the scene into the background,
middle ground and foreground. Here I lay in very simple shapes and colours that suggest the sky and distant city line. It’s very easy to get carried away with the details here, but it’s all about capturing the simple impression and not copying exactly what you see. I also mix more white and light grey in this area, so that it’ll sit back nicely when I add in the foreground darks later.
2 Remembering your paint mixtureI continue to paint my midground elements of the trees
and street shadow, all the way to the foreground tree on the left, with more darks as it transitions forward. Everything is kept simple and abstract, enabling me to focus on creating a feeling of depth. I keep mental notes of the paint mixture I use for each area, so that when I revisit those area, the value will be similar.
Peter is from Taiwan but lives in Los Angeles where he works at Sony Pictures Animation. He’s worked previously at
Pandemic Studios and DreamWorks Animation and you can see more of his work on his blog at www.pixelp.tumblr.com.
Gouache
112 January 2017
I mix more permanent white and gray no.1 into the paint.
Make a note of your paint mixture so you can go back to areas and keep the colours and values similar.
I apply less white to foreground elements.
Workshops
3 Reinforcing the sense of depthJust by blocking in key areas of background to
foreground, I’ve already created a good sense of depth. Now I can add small secondary elements such as the cars on the street to further suggest depth. In a similar way to how I painted the city, the distant cars start out grey and lighter, and become much darker, larger and detailed the closer they are to the viewer.
4 Another layer of detailOnce I’ve blocked in a large
chunk of the composition, I start to add other details such as the palm trees. I start with smaller and lighter-value trees at the very back and then paint forward to the front, with trees becoming thicker and darker in scale. Don’t worry too much about painting all the leaves; instead, find a simple and bold shape that communicates what it is. I also start to make the foreground much darker with a bit more detail to bring everything forward.
5 Add in line elementsDuring the final stages of the
painting, I add more refined and smaller line elements. In this case it’s the telegraph poles and wires as well as the mid-ground cars. These are perfect to show depth, because they act as a directional element that lead the viewer’s eye back and forth through your composition.
artISt InSIghtSimple StrokeS
Learning how to use simple strokes to
communicate complexity is a great tool
to speed up plein air work. It will take
some practice, but will give your
paintings lots of life and also prevents
your colours from becoming muddy.
113January 2017
The cars at the very front have more contrast compared to distant areas with reduced contrast.
Manage your detail levels to ensure the foreground, midground and background are well defined.
studytiP
Work smallPainting on small
canvases enables you to work faster, experiment
more and build up confidence!
Artist insight Light and depth
Where did you grow up and how has this influenced your art?I grew up in California, with lots of family
camping in the mountains and on the coast. I was always a fan of the outdoors, and I think I absorbed lots of the California landscape into my sensibilities, as well as organic shapes in general.
You’re a child, you see a painting that changes everything… what are you looking at, and what effect did it have?Well, that would be the Frazetta painting Dark Kingdom on the cover of the Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta Book 2. I’d seen plenty of “fantasy art” before, but this painting had a grittiness and mood that really struck me.
What was your first paid commission?That may very well have been painting copies of Frazetta and Boris’ pieces on to Vans skateboard shoes for friends in high school. In the industry, though, I think my first paid commission was a couple of painted trading cards for a Ray Harryhausen comic book in the early 90s.
What’s the last piece that you finished, and how do the two differ?I’ve just finished a card piece for Hearthstone, and the biggest difference is the quality of colour choices. But we’re talking about a huge difference in time and almost 30 years of artistic evolution.
Where do you usually create your art?I have a studio in my house where I paint traditionally, as well as a Wacom touch
screen for digital work. I have sketchbooks and bring them around while I’m out, but I need to stay in the habit of doing that. It’s like exercise: you need to create good habits and stick to them. If you stop, you can feel those little things not working as smoothly as before.
What character that you’ve painted do you most identify with?I would have to say Tarzan, simply because of my awe and appreciation of
wilderness and nature. But I don’t really think I identify with the characters I paint, so much as the worlds they live in.
There’s an extremely illusive feeling of recognition and familiarity that I strive to achieve when I paint a scene – like a memory from childhood or from a dream, some form of connection to a time and place, and not necessarily a real time or place. Landscapes can pull something up from deep within you… bring strong feelings of ‘locale’ or ‘place’ forward that don’t usually come to the forefront. Though in truth, all types of art and subject matter is capable of doing that.
Is your art evolving? What’s the most recent experiment you’ve made?I don’t think that my art is evolving, or at least not fast enough. For that to happen, I’d need to spend more time on purely personal works of exploration, since clients don’t usually want you to experiment with your style on their jobs! What I would like to see evolve in my art would be a better use of paint itself. When I look at work by someone like Petar Meseldžija or John Singer Sargent, I’m deeply disappointed in my skill level.
Do you tread the convention trail?Since I have a day job, I do very few shows because they take a lot of prep. I did do Dragon Con this year as a guest juror, along with Scott Fischer and Stephan Martinière, and had a great time hanging out with them. That’s the attraction, by the way: spending time with other artists and friends you only see at shows.
How has the industry of fantasy art changed since you’ve been part of it?The internet has made viewing tremendous amounts of art and reference instantaneous, and that has in turn pushed the quality of work to new levels. The flip side of this is, of course, there are many more capable artists out there competing for the same work.
Why is it still the best place to work?Because where else can you paint pictures of monsters and heroes fighting it out on planets light years away!?Among other things, Daren is a video game art director, fantasy illustrator and 2016 Spectrum Fantastic Art gold award winner. You can see his art at www.instagram.com/darenbader.
I don’t identify with the figures I paint, so much as the worlds they live in
White Witch Dramatic lighting helps to generate mood and atmosphere in this forest scene.
ShadoW of the coloSSuS “This was done for a gallery show
entitled Video Game Artists Doing Art of their Favourite Video Games.”
It’s all about capturing the feel of
the locale for this award-winning artist
© P
aiz
o P
ub
lishin
g
114 January 2017
First ImpressionsDaren Bader
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